


Valor

by AmzTheDarkCrystal



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Universe, Demons, Gen, Heaven, Heaven & Hell, Hell, Original Character(s), Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Royalty, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan References, Soul-Searching, Time Skips, Valhalla, new characters - Freeform, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-11-06 07:22:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 46,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11031375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmzTheDarkCrystal/pseuds/AmzTheDarkCrystal
Summary: "To become an Arcainic Valkyrie one's soul must- pardon the pun- go through hell & back, since they're bornfrom my harshest fires."The soul of Anya is thrown into Hell by God to speak with Lucifer. She must undergo test and; pass in order to live and; to later become an Arcainic in her next that where she & her brother- Argo and; Alistair meet the scouts of the Survey Corps.The Scouts of the Survey Corps discover a new world after finally deciding to travel the ocean in the search for the island of Marley and run into a species of people they never thought to exist.





	1. Tea With the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> After see some amaze-ballz fanart of the scouts with angel-like wings on their backs I was wondering "How would the scouts react if they met a species that was born with wings?" And thus I was inspired to write this fic with OCs to figured out just that. Please, if you enjoy it leave a kudo, leave a comment telling me what you think, & enjoy the journey as the Scouts of the Survey Corps discover a new world after finally deciding to travel the ocean in the search for the island of Marley.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To become an Arcainic Valkyrie one's soul must- pardon the pun- go through hell & back, since they're born  
> from my harshest fires."
> 
> The soul of Anya is thrown into Hell by God to speak with Lucifer. She must undergo test and; pass in order to live and; to later become an Arcainic in her next that where she & her brother- Argo and; Alistair meet the scouts of the Survey Corps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After see some amaze-ballz fanart of the scouts with angel-like wings on their backs I was wondering "How would the scouts react if they met a species that was born with wings?" And thus I was inspired to write this fic with OCs to figured out just that. Please, if you enjoy it leave a kudo, leave a comment telling me what you think, & enjoy the journey as the Scouts of the Survey Corps discover a new world after finally deciding to travel the ocean in the search for the island of Marley.

 

 

 

    "Why don't you just go to hell, bitch!"

  
   "Oh, I've been there, it's quite lovely. I'll be sure to save you a seat on the next ride there!"

  
    I'm used to that by now, being told to go to hell & being called a bitch after I reject a guy who doesn't understand  
the meaning of the word "no". Only I lied. I've been to hell before, that was true, however it is nowhere close to "Lovely".

  
   I was never there physically, my body still in my bed while my mind & soul where locked away in some dark, dank  
cave. "Hello there, Child." a voice echoed, bouncing off the cave walls. "I know you're very confused right now, but  
trust me, this is for your future."

  
 I backed up until I felt a cold wall press against my back.

  
    "Ahh, so he was right. You are instinctive- putting your back against a wall makes you less venerable- brilliant  
but that won't help when it comes to me unfortunately."

  
    "Who was right? Right about what? Who are you & where the hell am I?!" I kept my voice shockingly steady.  
 A low chuckle crept up my spine before the wall I placed myself against slipped away.

  
 "You just answered your own question, Child."

  
   He was beautiful. Dressed in black with angel wings to match. He the classic image of tall, dark, & handsome, the boy your  
mother warned you about. I knew his name before he spoke. "I am Lucifer." He was the Devil, & I was in Hell.

 

\--

 

  Lucifer took me by the hand & lead me chamber to chamber. Each one more unfathomable than that last, souls being  
tortured again & again, demons cackling from the pleasure of their screams without rest.

  
 "What am I doing here? I haven't died I can still feel my body sleeping. No, this isn't real, this is simply  
a nightmare!"

  
 "Ha!" he laughed. "The old, 'this isn't real' cliché. It never gets old. A nightmare, yes, but I assure you  
child, this is very much real." We continued down a path made of bones hand in hand. "You are correct, you are not dead,  
my good buddy God sent you to me to be tested. By the way I love how you didn't deny that you belong here, it is so  
refreshing to meet someone that can accept their fate."

  
 The path of bones was surprisingly smooth. I step upon skulls without fear of them crumbling beneath me.  
 "I never said that I do belong here either. I sin like everyone, & I've never once claimed to be perfect or a  
saint. You said I was sent here to be tested, tested for what- test of faith?"

  
 We came to what I could only assume was the throne room. He sat down on the odasian throne.

  
 "Oh no, nothing as mundane as that. Have a seat."

  
 Another odasian chair rose from the ground at the wave of his hand. The chair was cool to the touch & strangely  
felt right to sit in.

  
 "Feels good don't it? Would you like some refreshments, having one's soul thrown down here tends to take a lot  
out of you."

  
 I pulled my thoughts from the chair & glared at him, doing my damnedest to match his intimidation.  
 "Why would God himself send me to you? What test do I have to go through?"

  
 Lucifer clucked his tongue, annoyed. "I see you don't like polite small-talk. All I'm trying to do his make you  
comfortable."

  
 "Forgive me for being rude, but I'm not in the mood for pussy-footing around while my souls in hell."  
He leaned his elbows on his knees. "He said I'd like you, you've got moxy, lets..." the corner of his mouth twitched into  
into a smirk "... pray, that you keep up that spunk once we throw you to the wolves."

  
 A table matching the chairs, filled with tea & sweets manifested between us. He handed me a cup of Darjeeling,  
then took a cup for himself along with a slice of cake. "You've been chosen to become a Valkyrie." He forked the cake  
breaking off a piece. "An Arcainic Valkyrie to be exact." He swallowed the piece in one bite.  
 The tea for me was the perfect temperature & brewed to my liking- nice & strong. Lucifer sipped his tea.  
 "To become an Arcainic Valkyrie one's soul must- pardon the pun- go through hell & back, since they're born  
from my harshest fires."

  
 I finished off my cup & poured myself a new one. Who would've though that the Devil enjoyed a good cup of tea?  
" What's an Arcainic Valerie?"

  
 "You might know them as 'Grim Reapers, Fallen Angels, Angels of Death, Sephimen'." He grabbed another piece  
of cake. "People call them different names all over the damn world, like that bloody Chris Kringle, that fat, jolly  
bastard."

  
 I placed my empty cup down & picked a cookie to munch on, getting comfy in my crystal chair again.

  
 "Wait, Santa Clause is real?"

  
 "Unfortunately. He has this irritating policy of not giving adults gifts even if they're believers so that he can  
remain a mystery. Oh, we're out of tea."

  
 A snap of his fingers had a Gollum-looking creature wheeling in a cart of freshly brewed Darjeeling & trays filled  
with more sweets. I half expected the creature to start clutching the tea cup to his chest whispering "My precious." as  
he gave me a steaming cup. Instead he bowed & muttered "I wish you the upmost luck on your journey now & the unforeseen  
future."

  
 Lucifer nodded his head after a sip from his cup & the creature trotted away with the cart leaving everything  
behind to replace the old.

  
 "Now back to why you're here. God see's potential in you becoming a guide of sorts for the souls of warriors as  
they enter Valhalla to become Valkyries themselves."

  
 He held one of the trays of sweets out to me. "Have some treats, I hate indulging by myself, it makes me feel  
like a fatass." I took a strawberry cupcake not only to please him so he'd continue to tell me about my so-called test,  
but also because I know what it's like to feel like a fatass myself for my inner skinny girl doesn't know how to shut  
the hell up.

  
 "So all Valkyries become guides for warrior souls?"

  
 "No. Only Arcainics- the type you are to under go these tests to become- can travel between the planes of the  
living & dead. The others will most likely become 'elementals, storm, blood sages' etc.. They are different kinds of  
Valkyries, think of them as dogs, you're all the same species with different breeds."

  
 I picked another cupcake & leaned back. This chair is too damn comfy for the material it's made of.

  
 "What makes Arcainics so special that they get to meet you?"

  
 Lucifer put down his empty cup, crossed his legs ankle to knee & steeple his fingers.  
 "You'll figure that out on your own after training, but first you have to pass your test."  
A wicked smile crept across his face, reaching ear to ear. "Why don't we start now?"

  
 The table between us vanished. The floor dropped away & now I stood in a pit, while Lucifer still sat in his  
throne smiling down on me.

  
 "I would tell you more about your future self, but in case you fail I don't want to get your hopes up?"

  
 I immediately put my back against a wall like before. Unless whatever it is I'm about to face can bend the  
laws of physics like Lucifer, I was going to make damn sure it faced me head on.

  
 "Oh, don't want me to get my hopes up? Huh. That's so considerate of you. How about you keep up that nice streak  
& letting me know what the hell my first test is?"

  
 "Well isn't it obvious, child? He snaps his fingers & a gate big enough to house a t-rex embeds itself into  
the wall across from me. I had no idea what to expect, but as the gate began to rise I dropped into a position that  
showed I watched way too many kung-Fu movies. Slowly the creature emerged from the opposite side of the gate.  
 "Gollum?" It was the creature that served us tea. I let my hands fall back to my sides confused.

  
 "You'll test will consist of fighting my demons. We can't just let anyone become an Arcainic, now can we?"  
I glared up at Lucifer. Damn did I want to smack the disgustingly handsome smirk off his face. This is ridiculous.  
He can't expect me to fight demons. I'm only human, I have no supernatural powers or some shit like that.

  
What the fuck am I to do?

  
 His sapphire eyes twinkled in amusement. "You have plenty of wits, child. Use them, or don't & die right  
here in this pit. Then you'll get to spend all of eternity with me!" He turned his head to look at Gollum.  
 "You know what to do." Gollum nodded. His face changed from the shy, frighten expression into that of nightmares  
that plague the dreams of children & adults alike. It wasn't the shark-like teeth that pinned me where I stood, or  
even the sight of him growing 5 times his size, but those eyes. They weren't the eyes of a monster, but those of a soul  
tortured by the things they've done. He looked down at me with those sorrowful eyes, " I'm sorry" was all I can gather  
before a fist the size of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, came down upon me.

 

\--

 

 Dust settled around me as I flattened myself against the now closed gate. The cold metal bit into my spine,  
making me cringe, but it sure as hell better then squished to death. I looked around for a weapon, I knew I couldn't keep  
dodging his attacks forever- speaking of- another fist hit the ground fast making the floor ripple beneath me.  
I managed to keep my head safe from falling debris.

  
 "Come on, child, I know you can do better then that." Lucifer mocked. That cocky smirk still plastered on his  
beautiful face. "Shut up!" I snapped back. ok, screw the weapon all that's around is rocks that are either too big  
to lift, or too small to do damage. Think, use your wits like Lucifer said.

  
 I looked at the damaged gate. Some of the bars were broken & jutting out at odd angles. I looked up at Gollum.  
The gate didn't have any pieces I could grab, but even if it did there was no way for me to get up to Gollum's eye level to  
stab him. I need to bring him down. That's when I noticed the loin cloth. "Aww, fuck"

  
 Gollum was bringing his leg down when I took off going under him. The shockwave from his foot sent me further under  
him. I stumbled to get back on my feet & out of his sight. He turned around making everything swing.  
 I gulped, "Sorry Gollum." I grab hold & pulled. "But I have to survive this bullshit!"

  
 He howled, falling to his knees clutching his jewels. I took the opportunity to climb his back so I could  
grab the edge of the pit.

  
 As I pulled myself out of the pit I heard Lucifer yell over the painful cry of his demon, "What are you up too?"

  
"You'll see." I mutter through heavy breathes. My heart was the only thing I could hear as I jumped from the ledge.  
My legs burned from the impact, & I knew I had landed on my target. We went down together. The force of the air hitting me  
caused me to let go of Gollum's hair. The Ground all too happy to greet me as I landed on my side, my arm breaking.

  
  I crawled to yet another wall & sat up against it, my head spinning, I held my arm against my chest,  
despite the protest in my shoulder. By the time the dust settled, my head had calmed & I was able to focus my eyes.  
I heard Lucifer clapping, "Bravo! Bravo! My, what a show that was! You actually succeeded in killing one of my demons!"

  
 Wait, what? I brought my head up to see Gollum laying face down, one of the gate's bars sticking out the back of  
his head. "I killed him... ohmygod... I killed him."

  
 "Yes, you did. Well done. You will make an excellent Arcainic if you can think on your feet like that. God  
was right, ugh I hate admitting that, to send you to me."  
 I shook my head- big mistake- I can't dwell on having killed Gollum. I don't know what's in store for me next.  
 "So what now?" I asked

  
 The pit returned to the smooth floor, like before with tea & sweets on another table. That crystal chair wedging  
under my ass. Lucifer grabbed my broken arm, "This is going to hurt." he began to squeeze the broken bones, I could  
feel them stitching back together piece by piece. "Try not to scream, child, it'll be over soon." I hadn't even realize  
I was screaming. The only thing I could hear was the pulsing of my heart, as blood rushed through my veins & the sound  
of bones clashing back together with a grinding I've only heard from stuck gears.

  
 The burning & throbbing stopped as quickly as it begun. Lucifer stepped back holding my arm out, "See?" he  
turned & twisted admiring his own handiwork, "Good as new."

  
 A fresh, steaming cup of tea presented itself in my hand. Mint, & green tea from the scent of it.  
 "Honey?" I looked up to see a decanter of honey extending from Lucifer's hand. I simply shook my head.  
 "Suite yourself, I like mine on the sweet side. Like me" A cheesy smile danced on his lips. I scoffed at such a  
ludicrous notion. "They say you are what you eat, so I guess I'm strong & bitter." I retorted.

  
 "It's starting to show." He said

  
 "I thought demons were immortal. Why did a simple stab through the eyes kill him?"

  
 "They are when out in the human world, but here in Hell they're as mortal as you."

  
 "So, that means I can kill you & get out of here? End Hell altogether?"

  
 His laugh was like shatter glass, "Oh no, Child. I never said I was mortal down here. Myself & Arcainics are  
exceptions".

  
 "Hmm, interesting."  I downed my tea & quickly refilled my cup. My nerves were still singing from my arm being  
mended, not to mention killing someone, & the tea was helping calm me down.  
 "By the way you passed."

  
 "I what?"

  
 " You. Passed." he repeated. "When you die in the human world an Arcainic will bring your soul back here to  
begin training. In the meantime." he placed his cup down & looked me strait in the eye. "Enjoy your pathetic excuse for  
a life." He was the embodiment of Sin. He was the Angel you pray too without knowing. I felt the blanket scrunch under my  
hand, I was back in my room, but my mind was still in that cave, & the Devil was staring back at me, with those stupid  
Sapphire eyes.

 


	2. Anya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scouts of the Survey Corps discover a new world after finally deciding to travel the ocean in the search for the island of Marley but run into an unusual set of people. A species they are never thought to exist.  
>  Anya and her brother Alistair set off to fix a mishap made by an escape prisoner. In order to capture the man with ease they ask for the Scouts help & reveal more than they intended in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic lines are being spoken in Latin or are a "dream scene". If you enjoy please, leave kudos, comment telling me what you think & more!

    Anya shot strait up, panting & clutching her chest. The branded scar on her left breast reassuring her that this  
was indeed the real world, & that was just a nightmare. A memory from her soul's training days. A stiff breeze fluttered  
her curls bringing the promising scent of rain. So much for sleep, she thought. She stepped out of her bay window bed & out  
onto her balcony. The sensation of snakes, spiders, & scorpions crawling & biting her still tingled in her arms. She  
rubbed them trying to still her nerves & ground her mind to feel the breeze.

   The snakes & scorpions weren't so bad. The snakes were long, & consistent in their movements, you always could  
when one was about to strike. The scorpions pretty much stood in one place barely moving & their needled tails, felt like  
pinches as they enter her skin. The spiders however, were the abso-fucking-lute worst. She could feel their eight  
individual legs creep over her naked body. Devoided of light in the coffin-like case you never knew when one would dropped  
down from it's web to have the tips of fangs or legs graze against you & unlike the snakes & scorpion whose bodies would  
tense up before a strike, you never felt the spider's until after their venom entered your veins with a burn hotter  
than Hell's fire raced to your heart only to be pumped back throughout your body.

   Now her blood was impregnated with their venom, along with quick sliver. Her lips filled with the poison of  
belladonna giving her the curse of Death's Kiss. As an Arcainic Valkyrie she was the embodiment of death.

   She looked up to her twin brother's home. Alistair, an Elemental Valkyrie lived in a stone building that served  
as the orphanage with his beautiful daughter, Charlotte, or "Little Lottie" has her grandfather nicknamed her.

  
   Argo, a Blood sage Valkyrie had his living quarters set up in the clinic, serving as the Valkyrie's medical chief.

   The two of them doing what would be consider "Nobel" work while she lived in & ran her tea shop. That is  
when the three of them weren't busy with military affairs- like today. They are to escort a prisoner, a fellow comrade  
now stripped of his military status, to be judged for his crimes & then take him to wherever his sentence is to be carried  
out.

  
    The sun would be rising in about an hour. "Hmm, might as well stay up & read before the day starts."  
She stretches her arms over her head making her spine pop in each vertebra. "It's going to be a pain in the ass day."  
She climbed back through her window & head down stairs to her shop to brew a pot of tea. "Happy fucking birthday to me."

\--

   " Hey sis!" Alistair called out. " There's another ship just up ahead, think he could've landed there?"  
Anya peered through the telescope her brother handed her. The ship wasn't small, it wasn't big either. Flying high  
on the mast was a green flag bearing a pair of wings, one side blue, the other white.

"Unless he doubled back to the island that's the only place he could land." She handed back the telescope. "I don't recognize the crest on the flag though."

    There was no need to change they're course, the other ship was heading in their direction. If they good get their  
attention they could slow down as they crossed paths & talk to the captain.

  
   "Alright, send off a flare, maybe they'll respond."

   Alistair lifted his hand in the air & sent up a short, green light from his finger tips. It reached high into the air  
before combusting into a bloom. A few minutes passed before the ship with the winged flag let fly a green smoke signal.  
Now all they each had to do was wait until they got within crossing range of each other.

   A woman with long brown hair in an unkempt ponytail, waved an arm as they came close.

"Hey, we saw your signal! Is everything alright?"

   She wore square goggles, & had an eye-patch over her left eye. The clothes she wore was a  
military uniform. White pants, brown boots, that came over the knee, & a brown jacket that stopped short at her waist  
the arm patch bore the same insignia as the flag. On her hips was a strange metal device housing, what looked to be six  
blades on each side, held in place by leather straps crisscrossing over her body.

   "Everything's fine, but we would like to come aboard to speak." Anya was going to wait to tell them that an  
escape prisoner might be on hiding on their ship until after she has clearly evaluated the woman's crew. Also if she  
mentioned that fact before boarding they might not have let them on.

"Oh goody, we speak the same language! Come on over!"

   Alistair & Anya spread their wings & leapt over the railings. They landed behind the woman just as she called for  
a plank to be set. "Whoa, how did you guys..." her eyes widen & her cheeks began to flush as she trailed off letting her  
mouth fall open. They retracted their wings back into their bodies knowing full well that she & everyone saw. That's when  
the stammering began. "Y-y-you have w-wi-wings... Oh my god you have wings!" She leaned in real close making Anya use her  
brother as a shield. "Can I touch them? How do they work? Where do they go when you're not using them? What are you?"

   Alistair kept her at arms length while she practically drooled over us when a sharp comment was spoken behind  
them.

    "I thought Eren & Armin were enough to handle. Now we have to deal with these freaks." The man that spoke wore the  
same uniform has the woman, as well has every one else on the ship, his black hair was clipped with an undercut, & he was  
surprisingly short for someone with an strong voice, if it weren't for Anya's thick heeled boots she'd only be an  
inch or two taller then him, but what struck Anya first were his eyes. They were the same sickly sapphire blue as  
Lucifer's.

    "Levi, they have wings! Wiiings! They're an entirely new species then us or Titans!"

    "Yeah, so, what do they want?" He snipped clucking his tongue.

   "Huh, oh right!" The woman straighten & extended her hand putting on a professional face. "I'm Commander, Hanji  
Zoe." She then pointed to Levi, "Shorty over there is Captain, Levi." He came to stand next to Hanji. Alistair stepped  
back to stand next to Anya. She grabbed the other woman's hand in greeting.

    " I'm General Anya. This my brother, Alistair he's also one of my seconds."

   "One of your seconds? How many do you have?" asked Hanji.

    "Two." Anya replied, " We have a brother name Argo."

    "We're triplets with Argo & I being identical twins." Explained Alistair.

   "Now we know who you are, next question. What the hell are you, & what the fuck do you want with us?"

   Hanji leaned an arm on Levi's shoulder, nudging him. "Come on, Levi don't be rude."

    "Shut up four-eyes"

   Anya inhaled deeply & looked at her brother. They were both thinking the same thing, hope this goes well.

 "We're Valkyries." she answered. Whisper & mummers.

   "A what?"

    "Valkyries, I think I read about them somewhere."

    "What did she say they were?"

    "I don't know but she's kinda hot." could be hear among the crowd.

    "And we're here because we believe an escape prisoner has flown onto your ship. With your cooperation, we like to  
apprehend him, & take him back so his sentence can be carried out."

   "General" Hanji gasped, "Is that why your uniform's different from everyone else on your ship?" she asked  
pointing out Anya's purple halter corset with sliver clasps, her black pants, boots & the black leather braces on her arms  
laced from wrist to elbow. All the things she wore when her soul finally rose from Lucifer's flames. Her wings the  
colour of Amethyst to mark her station as an Arcainic. Alistair wore the standard pale blue tunic that crossed around  
his shoulders so the back was open for his wings, as all the men in the military, Woman wore corsets of the same blue.  
Black pants & boots were the same for everyone.

   "Now's not the time to worry about her clothes, four-eyes." Levi's stare never left Anya.

Those eyes stirring memories of tortured years. Screams, fighting, pain, surviving still haunted her in sleep.

     "Why should we help you? It's not our fault if you can't hold onto one person."

   Alistair was quick on the defensive. "A couple of our men were distracted by him being a fellow comrade. Dumbasses  
let their guard down & he took advantage fleeing off the island."

   "Again I don't see why w-" Anya cut Levi off.

    "We could have just flown on board unannounced, instead we decided to speak to you so no damage comes to your vessel. We don't need your help catching him, but it would make things go  
smoother for your crew if you did."

   He clucked his tongue again. Hanji opened her mouth to speak when he waved over a group  
of young teens. Non of them looked to be older than 18, maybe 20 years of age. "Do whatever. My team will help you."  
   He walked away going below deck.

"Ignore him, he's always acts like he's in a bad mood." Hanji explained. " I keep telling him he doesn't get  
enough sleep."

"Maybe he just needs to take a hard shit." Chuckled Alistair.

Levi's team gathered around Hanji & began introducing themselves. A chipper young lady with brown hair & eyes, &  
a sweet smile went first.

   "Hi! I'm Sasha, please to meet you!"

   "You can just call her potato girl." The bald boy next to her said.

   She hit his arm laughing " Shut up, Connie."

   "What?" he smirked.

   "I'm Jean." Alistair took his out-stretched hand.

    A blonde male nodded his head, "Armin. This is Eren, & she's Mikasa." He introduced the dark haired boy with an  
eager smile & the woman standing next to him arms crossed over her chest & wearing a red scarf.

   "May I ask what the man's sentence was? Asked Armin. It has to be harsh for him to run off."

   "Castration." All the men cringed at that one word, including her brother.

    "What the hell did he do to earn that?!" Jean spat.

   "Raped a five year old child." Growled Alistair.

    "How do you plan to catch him?" asked the girl name Mikasa, obvious anger rang in her voice.

    "We have hounds to sniff him out if you'll allow them on." Anya said to Hanji.

    She nodded," Of course. We'll lower a plank for them to walk across."

    "No need." Alistair smiled.

      "Don't tell me those mutts have wings too." They all turned to see Levi had returned from wherever it is he went.

   Both Alistair & Anya looked at each other grins spreading wide in amusement.

     "Not exactly." Anya sang." You might want to hold that one back however."

She pointed at Hanji who turned her head to the side much like the hounds do when they're confused.

    Anya let out a short whistle & two sliver hair dogs leapt over the rails. Only they went solid, their  
bodies turning into wraith shadows as they crossed the distance between ships, reforming into corporal form at Anya &  
Alistair's feet. She kneel down to scratch behind their ears whispering "Good boy. Good girl." She noticed that everyone,  
including "Mini Lucifer" as she decided to call the shorty with little man syndrome, jumped back a goof foot.

   "They look like wolves!" gasped Sasha

    "They're Hell hounds." Anya stood, her hands still on the hound's heads. "That's why they can travel in the form  
of wraiths."

    "They're beautiful." Awed Mikasa. She stay in the same stiff pose next to the Eren boy.

     "Can. Can we touch them." Connie extended a shaky hand out to one of the hounds.

     "Sure. They won't bite unless she tells 'em too." Alistair shoved his thumb at his sister.

    Connie, Sasha,& Hanji all knelt down to pet & scratch them. The hounds loving the attention. Even Armin testily  
scratched one of their heads. The other's stayed where they stood.

    "What are their names." Hanji giggled as one of them licked her face.

    "The one licking you is Mercury. The female's name Torrid. My niece named them for us."

   Alistair puffed his chest out full of pride, "My daughter, Charlotte, likes to think of herself as a beast tamer  
like her aunt here." He nudged Anya's arm teasing her. Anya shoved him back.

    "Alright that's enough." Levi walked over, Sasha & Connie jumping up to stand at attention. "They Have a prisoner  
to catch, so they can get out of here." He grabbed the collar of Hanji's jacket & yanked her to her feet even though  
she had a good four inches on him. 'Hanji, stop encouraging the brats." He threw a handkerchief in her face. " Wipe that  
slobber off your shitty face."

    "Lighten up will ya." She laughed as she began wiping her face & glasses. When she tried handed him back the rag  
Levi leaned back like the thing was diseaed. "Wash that before you give it back to me." He scrunched his nose, scaling.

  
   "Disgusting." he hissed. "Better yet burn the damn thing."

    "He's right." Anya double clicked her tongue & patted her thigh grabbing the attention of the hounds. They  
immediately stood one on each side of her. "The sooner we find him, the sooner we can get out of your hairs."

   Hanji nodded in agreement. "I'm guessing it's safe to assume since he's ex-military that he's dangerous." She  
looked over the crew that was now awaiting her instructions. "Everyone be on guard & be ready to draw your blades at any  
time, this person has the ability to fly, so 3D Maneuver gear maybe be of use. If you happen to catch him you are to turn  
to either Captain Levi, myself or Anya & Alistair."

    The entire crew threw their right fist, fingers up over their hearts, their left arms behind their backs.

  
"Understood" was said in one voice. Then they separated, each one on the hunt.

\--

      Hanji & Alistair lead one team with Sasha, Connie, & Jean, along with Mercury. Levi & Anya had Armin, Mikasa, Eren,  
& Torrid. Armin talked to Eren about how he read about the mythical creatures called "Valkyries". Nothing really rang  
truth, except for a few spinets here & there. Miaksa stayed close to them, but didn't appear to be listening. Levi walked  
next to Anya, his jaw tightly knitted, Torrid padded ahead of them softly, nose to the ground. They had searched the lower  
deck, while Alistair's team searched the upper. Levi stared straight ahead, but Anya could sense the curiosity beneath  
his cold domineer. She huffed. 

    "If you have a bloody question, just spit it out already."

     He stopped short looking at her for a brief moment before resuming walking beside her.

    "How do you expect to apprehend this guy with just that thing?" He glanced at the dagger she always wore on her thigh.

She smirked. She had expected a question regarding her wings, not her weaponry.

    "Who said I'm unarmed?" She answered his question. He didn't seem amused & continued to stare ahead.

       Torrid crotched low on her belly, slowly coming up to a small wood paned door. Anya snapped her fingers at Eren &  
Armin who continue to talk. "Hey, brats, shut it."

   "Huh, what's goi-"

    "Eren, she said shut up." Levi snapped. Mikasa, already had her hand on one of her blades & Armin quickly appeared  
at Anya's side.

     "That's a storage closet." He whispered.

      Torrid looked back waiting for instructions. Anya snapped her fingers & pointed to the closet door. As Torrid  
crept closer she slipped into shadows & glided underneath in one smooth silhouette. Shortly after she entered, snarls, &  
grunting could be heard on the other side. The door shook as something hit it from inside, & the struggle became louder.

     "Now would be a good time to bring out whatever it is you have." Levi snipped at Anya.

       She wasn't paying him any mind however & produced her two short swords from nothing. She opened her hands letting more  
shadows form into solids. The heaviness steading her, reminding her of all the time she spent sparring with other trainees,  
& demons. She forged them from Hell's fire herself, mixing her blood into the molten metal so they were an extension of  
her. Unless she allowed them, no one else could use them.

       A sound of amazement was quickly silenced from behind. Alistair & the others had joined them. He saw Anya's  
sword & brought out his battle axe in the same manner. Anya had also forged her brother's weapons after they got their wings  
only mixing their own blood, so the same was true for them if anyone tried to use them. Hanji covered her mouth to stifle  
a squeak. The door rattled on it's hinges again drawing her eyes away from Alistair's axe to the situation at hand.  
She quickly drew her blades, expression growing serious.

     Mercury shifted under the door to join torrid. The noise was a mix of growls, snarls, unintelligible grunting &  
supplies being knock over. Crack! The door began to split. The hounds grew more aggressive. Bam! The hounds & the escapee  
toppled onto the floor in a mess of flying fist & exposed teeth. Levi was the first on top of him. Pinning him down with  
blades scissoring at his throat.

    _"Go ahead little man. Kill me. You'd be doing me a favor."_ He spoke in Latin. The Valkyries native tongue.

    Levi tilted his head never taking his off him. "I have no idea what you said, but I didn't like  
the tone of it. "

    Anya knelt beside him. _"Killing you would be too merciful. A monster like you should have to live with_  
_a constant reminder of what you've done to such an innocent life."_ Alistair held out a pair of cuffs.

    Levi helped flip him over, he turned to Anya. "I don't know what you said either, but it sounded better then  
whatever he had said."

     Anya chuckled then faced her brother, " Let's get him on the boat." Alistair nodded, grabbing  
the escapee & hoisting him up. They all came above deck when Anya started to thank them when they heard a thud.

    Before they could see the cuffs on the floor the escapee had gripped Alistair's dagger off his thigh & held it to  
Anya's throat, hugging her back to his torso. Jean, & Mikasa were coming to her aid first. She threw her hand up stopping  
them.

     "Don't!" She commanded.

     "Anya!" Alistair protested.

      "Not now, Al!" She held his gaze.

       "Alright!" He looked at Hanji & the others, "Everyone fall back, give them space."

    The dagger's tip dug into her flesh,

    _"Thank you general."_ Growls rose from the throats of hounds. _"Now the mutts."_ He said.

    Alistair whistled calling them over & grabbing their scruffs.

    _"Good boy."_ The escapee mused. _"You know general, I enjoy see a woman take control. I like being in control even more."_

    "What the hell is he saying?!" Eren yelled at Alistair.

    "Don't worry about it. She knows what's she's doing."

    "Doesn't look like it from where I stand." Alistair shot a side way glance at Levi.

    Anya remained calm, reaching for her dagger.

    " _Oh no you don't."_ The dagger pressed deeper into her throat. _"You there, remove it!"_ He looked at Sasha.

   _"They don't speak Latin, you idiot."_ He squeezed Anya harder to him.

    _"Then translate, bitch."_

    She looked at Sasha. "Sasha? Right, lass?" Sasha nodded her head. "Remove the dagger on my thigh."

   "Wh-what?" She didn't move, just stood there, he eyes trained on the escapee hold her captive.

   "Now!" Anya hissed.

    Sasha hesitated looking at her Captain. He nodded & she quickly removed the dagger with swift  
hands.

 _"Thank you, cutie."_ Even though she obviously didn't know what he said, you can tell Sasha was uncomfortable.  
Shaking as if a chill was sent up her spine.

   " _Now that we don't have to worry ourselves over that anymore. You know what really gets me going."_ He pressed  
his growing erection into Anya's back, shimmying as he dragged the dagger's tips along her collar bone  & down her corset  
between her breasts. _"It turns me on to see you so scared, general." He pressed a kiss on her shoulder. "You're_  
_speechless."_

'   _"I don't know why your smiling then, because I'm not scare at 'all."_

   He continue to play the dagger's point at her breasts, making tiny circles along her cleavage. _"Is that so? What are_  
_you then."_

   Anya couldn't stop the smile from making a home on her face. _"Pissed off!"_

   She drove one of her swords into his ribs. Alistair released Mercury & Torrid. The escapee's eyes widen as a scream never made it out his agape mouth.

    Levi & Hanji sliced his tendons before he had a chance to run. He spread his wings to fly knowing that was his only way to  
flee. Torrid latched her jaws around one of them crushing the bone. Tears steamed down his face & pleas of mercy sounded  
through the air.

   He looked at Anya & everything stopped. The entire ship fell silence. All eyes upon Anya's face.

     Her eyes her black hallows, her cheeks shadowed like a corpse, & her were the same dark amethyst as her wings.

    She was Death personified. She twisted her fingers into his hair jerking him up. His face betraying all the bravado he  
spewed before & the hound's jaws never released their hold. She placed her lips right next to his ear.

 _"You know, it turns me on... to see you so scared."_ She whispered in his ear, throwing his words back at him, tilting his head exposing his throat  & placed a kiss on his jugular leaving  
behind a purple stain from her lips. His body began to go stiff. Each of his limbs becoming rigid as her poison took hold, until only his eyes were capable of moving.

   Life on they ship remained frozen. No one knowing what to make of what they just witnessed. Hanji stood, mouth  
slack. Sasha still shook holding Anya's dagger to her chest. Jean, Connie, & Eren mimicked Hanji. & Mikasa, blades still  
drawn remained motionless, ready to fight.

    Levi was the one to break the silence. "What the fucking hell was that?"

   "That. That was the tortured soul of an Arcainic." Answered Alistair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Bet you weren't expecting that were ya? Well neither were the scouts, but there are still plenty of surprises in store for them & you in the next chapter. See you there!


	3. Bloodlines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scouts learn some interesting, & shocking information about their new buddies , the Valkyries. They decided on the best way to learn more about this human-like species with wings & Levi sets out to get information from Anya himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I would like to clarify somethings from the pervious chapter. ) You may have noticed that I use female pronouns for Hanji, yes I am aware that she is non-binary but Isayama said that their gender would be up to the readers and while reading the manga I originally thought Hanji was a female before learning about the non-binary fact. Also Hanji is portrayed as a female in both the anime and the action adaptation film. I by no means mean/meant any disrespect to those who are non-binary themselves, this was just my preferences for this character. now after explaining that, I truly hope you enjoy this next chapter in "Valor".

 

 

 

              Anya was back on her ship securing the captive prisoner. Now that he was paralyzed from the eyes down thanks to her  
poison, he was much easier to manage. Alistair remained on the Survey Corps ship, as they had explained, to asset any  
damage that might have be done. When she returned she saw him trying to avoid their inquiries.

 

 "What was that that she did to him?"

 

 "Forget what she did to him, what was up with that scary-ass face."

 

  " And we thought Titans were creepy."

  
 "You still are a creep, Eren!"

 

  "Shut up, Horse-face!"

 

  "They're at it again."

 

  "Can't the two of you ever get along?"

  
         All the chatter ceased when they notice her standing next to Hanji.

 "Is he all taken care of, Anya?"

  
 "Yes, he's secured & ready for transport. He'll stay paralyzed long enough to reach the island. Thank you again."

  
         Armin handed her the dagger that Sasha had removed. The poor girl was trying not to shake like a leaf.  
  "How did you paralyze him?"

 

         Alistair shot him a look that could kill, but to his credit Armin never faltered, the  
curiosity twinkling in his eyes was too great for him to care.

 

     "Yeah, that was a neat trick you did back there. I'm wondering myself." Hanji chimed in & everyone,

with the exception of Levi who stayed leaning against the rails, step in closer to Anya.

 

      She sighed. She hated having to explain.

  "My lips are filled with Belladonna, or Deadly Nightshade as you  
might know it by it's common name."

  
  "How is that possible?!"

 

"What I've never read about that in the books about Valkyries!"

 Hanji & Armin spoke over one another pushing everyone back & inching closer to her to the point they

were practically standing on her feet

.

      She sidestep them coming to her brother's side.

"I'll go more into details later, but right now my brother & I would like to  
extend an invitation for you all to come to our island."

  
 "A storm is coming & your sails won't help you when the winds pick up." he pointed their gaze to the thick, gray  
cluster of clouds flashing in the distant horizon.

"Also, the ship is new, there's no warring of any kind from time in the  
water, I'm guessing she's not built to handle rough seas."

  
 "We can help reinforce her hull. Having fleets for fishing, you learn a thing or two about ships." Anya referred.

  
        Hanji placed a finger on her chin & looked around. "Well, this is our first ship, & everything we learned came  
from research. What do you think Levi?"

  
        He didn't move from his spot on the rail, just looked at her then around the ship clenching & unclenching his jaw.  
 "Learning a trade first hand is always the best way to get a handle on things."

  
   "Looks like we're trailing you guys." Hanji threw her arms around the siblings.

 

    Anya tensed up at the unwarranted touch, Alistair nervously chuckled & awkwardly patted her back.

 

     Alistair navigated the Survey corps trailing behind the Valkyries ship where Anya was keeping an eye on the  
prisoner. A couple of hours had gone by & the call for "Land-ho" had been announce. The island the Valkyries called home  
was finally in sight. The storm Alistair mention would catch up to them by night fall.

  
     They docked & a mirror image of Alistair met them half-way to the mainland. If it wasn't for the beard & cigarette  
in his mouth the two of them can't be told apart from the other. Anya was the last to meet them, half dragging the prisoner  
since he was just starting to regain feeling in his legs to walk.

  
 "Bout time you guys got back." He reframed from speaking in Latin out of respect for their guest. He cupped the  
prisoner's chin turning his head, revealing the now fading lip stain.

"Ha, you weren't kidding bro. He did put up a fight."

  
 "Nothing we couldn't handle." said Anya. "Have you guys been introduced?" She jutted her chin the loosely-knitted  
group of Hanji & Levi's team.

 

   "Not yet." Levi clipped.

  
   "Hey!" Anya called out. "This is our brother, Argo."

 

Argo lift his hand in a semi-wave. "Welcome to _Incitatio_."

  
  "He'll take you all to see the King. Al  & I will arrange for your lodgings after we deal this this sack of shit."  
 She shook the limp prisoner. They all agreed & parted ways.

 

\--

 

        "Whoa! Look how high the ceilings are." Exclaimed Connie.

  
  "Yeah, I bet a titan can fit in here, well a small one perhaps." Eren looked at his hand.

  
  "Don't get any ideas brat." Levi warned. "Hey, Argo." Argo titled his head in acknowledgment, a fresh cigarette  
between his lips. "Do all you guys do that freaky shit with the face?"

  
  "What you mean?"

  
      Hanji took over seeing Levi clench his jaw. A tick he recently devolved when he was annoyed, which of course, was  
often. "You're sister, Anya, she did this strange thin-"

  
  "Oh yeah, I know what you're talking about. No, she's an Arcainic. Only they have that ability."

  
  "Arcainic? As in death?" piqued Armin.

  
 "She'll explain it. There're  different kinds of Valkyries, each one with specific ability tied to their kind. For  
example." He took another drag from his cigg." I'm a Blood sage, so naturally I'm a healer. I run the clinic as the head  
medical chief."

 

   He stopped at a set of large wooden doubled doors. The cravings depicted the lineage throughout the ages.  
He stubbed out his cigg on the sole of his boot before opening the doors.   
 "I present the king of Valkyries, King Klein Licentia-Pennas."

 

    The scouts stood next to each other in line saluting the same way as on the ship.

 

     "And his brother the Arch Duke Bergot Licentia-Pennas."

     Argo took a seat next to the King. Two more thrones sat empty, one on his left side & another on his right between Argo & the Duke.

  
     "Welcome to our island!" The king greeted.

 

    "Yes, welcome." the duke repeated. Unlike the king's strong build, the duke was rather thin. He looked more like a weasel than royalty.

  
      "It is a pleasure to meet you, your Highness. I am Commander Hanji Zoe." They each introduced themselves, salutes  
unbroken.

 

     "Captain Levi Ackerman."

  
       "Armin Arlet."

  
        "Eren Jager."

  
       "Mikasa Ackerman."

  
       "Jean Kirstien."

  
      "Sasha Brause"

  
      "Connie Springer."

  
      "Please to meet everyone of you. Now if you don't mind telling me, which one of my children authorized this?"

  
  They looked at each other in confusion. "I'm sorry your Highness, but I don't believe we've-"

 

 The double doors opened interpreting Hani. In walked Anya holding a blood soaked cloth to her shoulder, Alistair right on her heels.

  
       "I authorized it. Argo, I need blood!" They took their seats among the thrones, Anya on her father's left, Alistair  
between their brother & uncle.

 

       "What the hell happened to you?"

  
      "What the hell does it look like, Argo? The bloody bastard fucking stabbed me!"

  
     "Anya!" Their Uncle yelled before looking back at their guests, "A princess shouldn't use such language!"

  
  She glared at him. If looks could kill. "Fine." she clipped "The bloody dick fucking stabbed me."

  
 The Scouts stood there mouths hung in shock. "She's a..."

  
     "Princess?" Sasha finished Jean's question for him.

  
  Their father chuckled & looked at his brother. "I don't know why you insist on fighting her, brother."

  
  They talked among themselves as Anya dug her fingers into her wound trying the fish out the blade that had broken off.  
  The scouts continued to exchange looks of disbelief.

 

      "They certainly don't act like royalty." Levi said to no one in particular.

  
     "I told them that if I had to go chasing after him again, I'd do more than carry out his sentence myself, the  
entire thing will come off."

 

      "Ouch sis, you're brutal. Did you paralyze him again?" Argo asked after helping Anya remove a three inch blade from her shoulder.

  
      Alistair began laughing. "No, she threw a left hook & cold clocked him." He mockingly wipe nonexistent tears from  
his eyes, "Oh brother, you should've seen it, it was beautiful."

  
      "Well he should have known not to piss off my daughter." He patted her knee in admiration, Anya stayed silent  
as Argo stitched her up. "I guess it's not truly a birthday without some excitement now is it?"

  
      That brought the scout's attention back to the family that sat on the thrones before them.

  
     "Is it your birthday, your Highness?" Hanji asked.

  
     "Oh no," He grabbed Argo pulling him into a hug with one arm, "My children. Today is their thirty-fourth birthday."

  
     "We're still young compare to you, old man." Argo patted his back.

 

    "Yeah, you're what five hundred?" Alistair joked.

  
     "Not for another two years."

  
     "Close enough" Anya joined in. They all laughed with the exception of Bergot.

  
     Armin stepped forward, "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but notice that your accents are different."

  
    "Armin." Mikasa pulled at his arm.

  
          Anya held her hand opposite of the one Argo stitched, "It's fine, lass." She turned her attention of Armin.  
    "My brother's & I didn't grow up on the island. We spent most of our childhood in Ireland."

  
    "How do you know our language?" All eyes turned to Levi. "Non of your men seem to understand us."

  
     The King placed his hand in his lap. "Allow me to explain. Languages is somewhat of a gift among my family. All  
we need is to hear a few words of a language in order to understand, read, write & even speak. As you can assume it helps  
with diplomatic matters."

     

      His brother crossed his legs knee over knee, back strait & hands on his armrest. "If you'd like  
we can allow everyone to learn your language." He smiled making his face look even more like a weasel. "It's a simple task  
to open their minds to it. "

 

      Something about the Arch Duke made the scouts uneasy. It was more then his weasel-like appearance,

he looked as if he had something to hide. It could be him faulting his royalty, but the way he spoke was too  
practice, too formal. The other's were more relax, even the King didn't act like royalty. Then again neither did Historia,  
back on Pardise behind wall Sina in the capital.

  
     Sensing their unease the King turned to his children. "Perhaps our guest would like to rest after such a tiring  
day. Our their rooms ready?"

  
     "Anya, & I took care of them." Alistair answered.

 

    "We'll escort them." Argo offered.

 

    The three of them lead the scouts out of the throne room. Once out in the hallway Argo instantly lit a fresh cigg, snapping his fingers at the tip  
for a nice, bright, orange cherry. Smoke wafted through the air the sweet tobacco musk greeting everyone's nose. No one  
seemed to mind, not that it would have stopped Argo.

  
    As they walked down the long corridors turning into another,r Hanji took it upon herself to break the silence.

  
    "Well someone has to say it." She clapped her hands, "Happy thirty-fourth Birthday! Sucks that you had to spend it like this  
today." She referred to the prisoner. Everyone else joined in on the birthday wishing. Some more enthusiastically  than others.

  
    "Umm, I don't mean to sound rude. This is meant to be a compliment, but your guys look younger than 34." Jean  
nervously scratched the back of his head.

 

    The triplets shared a collective chuckle. "Thanks." Alistair thanked him for himself & his siblings.

 

    "We stopped ageing when we were twenty-three." Explained Anya.

  
   "Stopped ageing? So, are you guys... immortal?" Eren asked

  
    Argo blew smoke out his nose before answering, "Immortal, no. Ridiculously long life, yes."

  
    "So how long is your life-span?" Hanji walked right beside Argo wide-eyed.

  
    "You heard our dad." Anya interjected, "He's two years from five hundred."

  
    Her eyes went from wide-eyed owl to dinner plates, her grin stretched from ear to ear & a blush redden her cheeks.

  
    "You weren't joking back in the throne room?" Connie pushed passed Sasha & Jean.

  
   The three of them shook their heads.

  
    "Wow" was the last thing said by Sasha as they came to two doors. One for the woman & one for the men. They each  
gave thanks for the invite to the island, the rooms & now an invite to breakfast with the royal family, & wished the  
triplets good night before retiring into their rooms. The storm Alistair spoke of hitting hard & fast.

 

\--

  
         Hanji came knocking on the men's door shortly after the triplets left. "You boys decent?" she sang.

  
   "Shut up & get in here, glasses."

  
     Hanji entered the room humming with Mikasa & Sasha following her.  
 With all of them in the room, Jean leaning against the far wall, Eren & Armin sitting on one of the bunk beds,  
Connie on the other, the girls sat on the bed under him & Hanji plopped on the couch next to Levi. They started their  
discussion about the strange humanoid creature with wings.

  
   "Armin."

  
   "Yes, Captain?"

  
    "What have you read about these people?"

  
      Armin sat up more on the bed clearing his throat. "Well most of it was just from forbidden folklore books my parents  
had. In the stories the Valkyries were all female, they would guide the souls of fallen soldiers to this place call Valhalla,  
it's like a heaven for them. So far it seems that most of it is just myth seeing that Valkyries are both male & female."  
  He rested his chin on his hand. "Also I never read about them being different in powers, or that they even had powers."

  
    Jean looked out the window. The rain was pouring from the east slashing across the glass.  
 "So we know nothing, thats just great."

  
    "Well, now we know that they do have some powers, that they're males & females, & they run on a monarchy like us."  
Sasha listed each item on her fingers.

  
    "Plus we have an in with the royal family." Mentioned Mikasa.

  
    "Yeah, but something about the Duke is off putting."

  
    "No, that's just you, Jager."

  
    "Shut it, horse-face."

  
    Jean walked over to him & got right in his face. "What'd I tell ya about calling me that!?"

  
   "Boys! Now's not the time!" Hanji yelled as Mikasa pushed Eren off Jean before fist could traded.

  
        Levi sat back, his arm flung over the back of the couch & his legs cross. "He's right." Everyone faced him.  
   "Something's off with the Uncle. I don't know if it's his pompous attitude  or just the way he looks, but I have bad feeling  
about him. Not that I'm entirely sure we should trust the others either." He looked at Hanji who was deep in thought.  
    "If you got to shit the bathrooms over there." He pointed to the door behind him. She didn't seem to hear him.  
    "Hey, four-eyes. I'm talking to you." He pulled on her hair, instantly wiping his hand on her jacket sleeves.  
    "When was the last time you washed that rat's nest you call hair?"

  
       She came out of whatever trance she was in. "Huh? Oh that's not important right now." She waved him off.  
   "I was thinking. I agree about the uncle being a little weird, but I think we can trust the triplets & their  
father. Back on the ship Anya said that they didn't have to ask us for help catching that creep. After seeing her paralyze  
the guy it's obvious that they can take care of themselves, however they took the well-being of the entire crew into  
consideration." She looked at Armin. "Not to mention she said that her & her brothers didn't grow up on the island, they're  
from some place called "Ireland". That could mean they've seen more of the world as well."

  
     Armin opened one of the trunks that had been brought in from the ship, & pulled out one of the books they had  
discovered in the basement of Eren's & Mikasa's House.  
      "I don't think Grisha's books have a map that big, but maybe we can get access to their library here. The library  
of the royal family would have the best resources."

  
    "Think it's be safe to bring it up while we're all eating eggs with them tomorrow?" Connie asked hanging upside down  
from the top bunk above the girls.

  
     "Maybe if we play our cards right." Hanji dipped her head to think.

  
     Silence fell over the room as everyone thought of the best way to get into the royal family's private library. It  
shouldn't be too hard to locate, but chances are it's be guarded at all time.

  
    "Alright." Levi spoke up. "We'll bring it up tomorrow & play it by ear, but that's it. While they're working on  
the ship we might as well learn what we can."

  
        Everyone agreed.

 

    "Everyone get some sleep. We'll get to know them better with fresh minds."

  
      At that the girls bid the guys good night & crossed the hall to their room.

  
     "Maybe they'll have some potatoes for you, Sasha."

  
 They could still be heard through the door, their voices fading once they entered their room.

  
     "You think so, Mikasa?"

  
    The boys got into bed. Armin & Eren in one of the bunks, Jean & Connie in the one across from them.  
 Levi stayed on the couch since it was the only seat in the room. The sound of the rain was soothing & soon  
they all fell asleep.

 

\--

  
       It was still dark when Levi roosted from sleep, he never really needed more then 2 or 3 hours a day.  
The rain had stopped & the clouds were gone leaving a perfect star speckled sky. The boys were still snoring away in their  
bunks, although it looked like someone had opened the window at some point. The air that sneaked  in was cooled from the  
storm & carried the scent of freshly watered earth. He quietly exited the room, going across the hall to press his ear  
the door to the girl's room where he could hear Sasha & Hanji having a snoring contest. From what he could tell  
Sasha was winning. He retraced the path they had came, finding his way outside. There were no guards to stop him, which  
he found to both a relief & odd.

  
     He looked up at the castle. To him it looked like the one back home, made of stone, with plenty of high towers for  
3D maneuver gear, or in the Valkyries case, wings. It was quiet out, everyone asleep in their beds through out the island,  
not even the birds were chirping yet. 

   Or so he thought until he rounded a corner of the castle to see three wraith-like  
shadows emerge from nothing, much like the way the hell hounds did on the ship. One of the shadows was Anya. Levi didn't  
recognized the other two, but unlike Anya now, they were dressed in the uniform she wore before.

He could tell however that one was male & the other female, both of them were taller than her as she wasn't wearing her heeled boots. The  
woman was slightly thinner than Anya, & wore her hair in the same braid Anya had, while the man was broad, with wide  
shoulders, he easily rival her brother, who already had a good foot on Anya as it were.

  
    They were too far for Levi to hear they're conversation, the only thing he could make out was them wishing her  
a Happy Birthday & that they're names were Jericho & Italia. Before they departed they each clasped hands with Anya &  
planted a quick kiss on her lips. Then just like they had appeared they vanished into the cool air like those damn mutts.

  
    Anya walked in the opposite direction of where Levi hide behind the corner. He watched her, letting her get a  
little ahead before he started following her. It was still dark enough for him to hide in the shadows. Darting down  
alleys & past houses that could only belong to the people of the island, she was quick & light on her feet. Not something  
he expected from a woman with her body. She was by no means fat, in fact she looked to be nothing but muscle, a soldier's  
body, but she had more curves on her than most women he fought along side with. It could be her height, without her heels  
she wasn't much taller than him. Maybe an inch or two.

  
    He never took his eyes off her, stay silent footed so not to draw attention to himself. Before long  
he noticed there were no more house around them when she came to the base of a mountain that blocked out the moon. Without  
any sort of gear or breaking her stride, she began climbing. With practiced hands & sure footing, it was obvious she'd done  
this before, she was up & out of sight by the time Levi started climbing himself.

  
     He was quick to catch up, seeing her feet push her up & over a ledge. The climb had his muscle burning, but not  
having his 3D maneuver gear made it easier & faster to follow her. He had lost sight of her again having just passed the  
half way point to the top. Determined to not lose sight of her Levi picked up his speed, placing feet & hands into crevices  
of the rock to push & pull himself closer to where ever she might be. He was almost to another ledge she's gone over when  
he placed a hand on a loose rock breaking free from the mountain side.

 

     "Shit!".

 

    Trying to grab onto another his foot began to slip from the hallow he jabbed out, his finger tips digging into a sliver of hard stone.

 

     "Shit, shit, shit!" He cursed as he began to fall backwards, desperately looking for a solid place to hold onto. 

A childhood of surviving in the Underground, years of fighting Titans, & humans alike only to have his life end from stupid human error,

on an unknown island, with unknown creatures.

    At least he lived a life with no regrets.

   He lived Erwin's dream for him recovering the books from Eren's basements, learning that there is infact life outside the walls, & finally seeing the ocean.

 

  So big. So blue. 

 

      Now he gets to join him & the other's who gave their lives for the sake of humanity. Petra, Oulo, Gunther, Eld,  
Nifa, Moblit, Farlan, Isabelle & so many more.

   Hanji can handle things & the brats were old enough to handle themselves.  
Eren & Armin can control their titan powers, they had Mikasa to keep them inline. Connie, Sasha, & Jean were excellent  
soldiers, they wouldn't be much trouble. He closed his eyes & accepted his fate.

  
      A hand gripped his forearm. He opened his eyes & threw his hand out before he slammed into the rock side.

  
   "Usually this goes without saying, but when following someone the first rule is don't get caught." Anya's accent  
hit his ears with a hint of amusement & announce. "I'm going to go ahead & add not dying to the list as well."

  
    He grabbed the other hand she held out for him using his feet to scale up the side. Once settled on the narrow  
ledge he looked down to see the steep drop he would've fallen. It was still dark, but there was enough moonlight to see.

  
    "Thanks. Guess we're even now."

  
   Anya nodded, "We're almost to the top, there's a wider plateau with a cave I like to sit at."  
 She planted her hands & feet. Before ascending she looked back at Levi. "Be sure to put your hands & feet where I  
put mine this time, I've done this for years so let me know if I need to slow down for ya."

 

   Levi didn't say anything just waited for her to get high enough so he could follow.

Now that they were aware of each other he didn't have to stay back making it easier to keep pace with her.

  
     The glow of the sun peaked through newly formed clouds when they finally reached the plateau. Levi's hands were raw  
& bleeding a bit from scrapes & cuts from jagged rocks on the way up. Nothing that won't heal in the next couple of days.

  
     Anya sat on the grass a cave to her back, a drop off a few feet from her. He could hear the water from the falls  
across the gorge crash into a pond down below. The sun was just below the mountains, slowly making it's way up into the  
sky. Orange, pinks, & reds painted a sky that would soon be covered with more gray clouds.

   Off in the distant the villages spotted through outs hills & plains. Their terra cotta shingled roofs reminding him of the way the

houses looked from the top of the walls.

   Small, pitiful, with a reluctant sense of hope he held of going beyond the damned walls that protected  
them from Titans.

  They  have come so far since then. They now knew titans were once humans, their bodies absorbed into the  
nape. That they're descendants of the people of Ymir, the founding titan, an Eldian & that being transformed into a mindless  
human eating titan was a punishment giving to Eldians by the Marylians.

   Now they were crossing the seas to explore the unknown world.

  
      "Want one?" Anya held up a pack of cigarettes, one unlit between her lips.

  
     "Yeah." He sat near her. The grass was soft, & thick, cushioning the ground.

   Anya lit both ciggs, snapping her fingers at the tips, like her brother had, taking the second stick from her lips & handing it to him.

  
  Levi took a long drag letting the smooth smoke fill his lungs. It had been so long since he last had one he  
struggled not to cough. "I thought only your brother smoked."

  
   Anya blew a stream in the breeze. "All three of us smoked at one point." She took another drag.

"Al's the only one that was able to quite successfully. Ever since his daughter was born. Argo never really put the damn things down."

 She let another puff escape her mouth. "As for me, it's a disgusting habit, but I don't light up like I used too. A pack can  
last me a couple of months at a time."

  
    Levi took his time between drags, savoring the flavor. "So it's a stress thing then."

  
   Anya turned to face him, "You could say that." She removed the cigg from her lips. "What I want to know is why you  
risked climbing a mountain in the dark just to follow me."

  
    He shrugged, filling his lungs with more tobacco. "Woke up & went for a walk. That's when I saw you & your buddies  
shadow out of thin air like those mutts of yours." he stubbed the butt of the cigg out on the bottom of his boot before  
putting it in his pocket. "Looked like you had a fun birthday night."

  
   She laughed a bit, not enough to produce any sound, but enough to shake her shoulders. "If you're referring to the  
snog, that's a greeting among us Arcainics. It's by no means romantic." She offered Levi another cigg, pocketing the pack  
after he shook his head.

  
     "Snog?" Levi asked.

  
     "The kiss. As you saw back on the ship we're able to allow our lips to fill with poison. The kiss is a bond of  
trust. Since we all hold death's kiss upon our lips we can kill each other in an instant."

  
   She laid back on the grass, crossing her ankle over her bent knee without explaining anymore.

  
   Levi didn't push the matter, he had other questions to ask.

  
    "So, Princess-"

  
    "Anya." She corrected

  
    "Huh?"

  
    "There's no need to be formal & I don't like being addressed by my title. Just call me Anya."

  
    He sat back bringing one knee up to rest his arm on trying to get a read on the woman. He noticed the stitches on  
her shoulder were gone.

  
    "How's your shoulder?" He decided to hold back on the serious questions.

  
     Anya sat back up rubbing unmarked skin, that should have been scared. "All good. The blade went in deep, but Argo's  
stitches can pretty much accelerate the healing rate of any wound." She laid back down, "Not like it would've left a scar  
anyways."

  
     "What's so damn special about his stitch work?" Levi kept his voice leveled. He was getting information, not geeking  
out on a new thing to research like Armin & Four-eyes.

  
     Anya stayed where she laid. "It's not his stitch work, it's the thread he uses." She turned her head towards him,  
"It's infused with his blood. He's a Blood Sage, they have an uncanny knowledge of medical science. Give them an ailment  
& they'll know how to treat it."

  
     He scrunched up his nose, "You let him stitch his own blood into you... pretty disgusting if you ask me."

  
    This time her laugh was audible, the sound as mystifying as her shadows. "Good thing I didn't ask you then. When  
you grow up on the streets you learn to take the bad with the good, & that somethings that are disgusting are necessary."  
 She turned laying on her side & propping her head on her hand. "With in reason of course."

  
    Levi was shocked to learn that a princess had grown up with no home, fending for herself & having to survive day  
to day like he had too in the Underground. Historia didn't grow up in a life of riches either, but she at least had food on  
her table, & a roof over her head everyday.

  
     "What, King daddy cut you guys off at birth to learn about the world or some tough love shit like that?"

  
   Anya sat up all the way leaning back on her hands & crossing her ankles. "Not at all. My brothers & I didn't even  
know we were royalty until we came to Incitatio & got busted trying to pick pocket our Uncle."

  
    He shook his head in confusion, "How the hell did you not know?"

  
     "Our mother left the island when she discovered she was pregnant. She found refuge on Ireland. Shortly afterwards  
she gave birth to us losing her life in the process. The woman, Magdala, who helped her bring us into the world took us in  
until she died when we were six. From then we took care of ourselves. Did what we needed to do to survive."

  
      Levi's expression & posture never changed as he listened to Anya.

  
    "When we about 12 or 13 we got our wings." She smirked, "We thought it was the most wicked thing ever, we used them  
to get away from police & merchants we stole food from. Why out run them when you can fly? Bloody hell, the look on their  
faces when they saw us take to the sky were priceless."

  
    He couldn't help but smirk himself remembering doing the same thing using 3D gear with Farlan & Isabelle.

  
   Her own giddiness waned off, her voice going soft. "We were stupid about using our wings back then." She absently  
rubbed the branded scar on the top of her left breast. "An incident happened & after hearing folk-lore about the island  
of Valkyries we figured we didn't have anything to lose. We jumped from ship to ship, seeing the world, learning new  
cultures & languages, until we finally came here. A place where the people had wings like ours. From there we made our home  
did what had to survive here like on Ireland. We didn't get caught for two years until Uncle Bergot."

 

   Her smile returned,the corner of her mouth raising ever so slightly. "We knew he had to be someone important, a Nobel or somethings, but  
not fucking royalty. We didn't want the guards listening on our conversation while we were in our cell, my brothers & I  
spoke in Gaelic, a language in Ireland. The guards noticed & asked how we had learned another language, & how many we knew.  
   "When we didn't respond they sent for the king. He asked us the same thing over & over in a different language every time.  
He finally brought us up to the castle & fed us. While we stuffed our faces he asked again, then he asked if we each had  
a crescent moon bruise on our ass cheek."

  
      Levi laughed through his nose, "Bet you guys though he was just some perve into kids when he asked that."

  
     Anya chuckled, "We were seventeen at the time, far from blushing virgins then. No, what took us by surprise was that  
he knew of the mark in the first place. Turned out it's a family birthmark. Our uncle is also a blood age so he had him  
test our blood, sure enough we were his kids. Said his first clue was that I look exactly like our mother."

  
    "I don't understand why a queen would leave her-"

  
    "She wasn't a queen." Anya interrupted him. "She was a kitchen hand in the castle. Her & dad fell in love, then one  
day she just wasn't anywhere to be found. He didn't even know she was pregnant. My brothers & I are bastards next in line  
for the throne. Our version of a fucked up Cinderella story."

  
     She kept running her thumb over the scar on her breast. It was a brand he often saw in the Underground on sex  
slaves. When young girls & sometimes even boys, were kidnapped a circle with a lotus flower would be branded onto their  
chest so that anybody who saw it knew they were property. Mikasa would have had one like it on her, if she & Eren hadn't  
killed her kidnappers.

  
     "Dose the 'incident' that made you & your brother come here have to do with you getting caught by sex slave  
traders?" The question was out before he could finish thinking it.

  
    Anya's head snapped up at him, her mouth opened to ask how he knew but it never surfaced. He looked at her scar, &  
explained how'd he grew up seeing it on children & adults. The silence dragged out between them before Levi apologized for  
asking a question that wasn't any of his business. Anya agreed but explained anyways.

  
    "Yeah. We were careless letting so many damn people see our wings. One night, I stepped outside our shack to smoke,  
I've always hated the stale scent tobacco left in places. The boys were still asleep, so they never heard the men that had  
ambushed me. When they removed the bag from my head I was chained up in some bloody warehouse. One of the men tore my top  
& put the brand to my skin. Pain I'm used to, but the stench of my own flesh burning... I'll never forget that."

  
     She hugged one knee to her chest. "An hour later the brand was gone, my skin had healed, it was like nothing  
happened. They got the idea to salt the wound the next time they branded me . For three days they took turns branding  
& salting non stop until they were sure it would scar. I fought against the men as they held me down, even took the lashings  
they generously gave knowing my skin wouldn't be marred, but by the third day I was too weak to do anything. One of them  
started messing around with me. I was scared & when he kissed me I panicked. I felt this burning, tingling sensations  
running through my veins. I felt myself getting stronger. Before I knew it the man fell dead, his lips stained purple.

     "I wiped my mouth on the sleeve I could reach, I just wanted him off me, when I looked at my shirt I saw the same purple stain.  
That's how I found out the type of Valkyrie I am. I had killed him. After that my brother's fought their way into the  
 warehouse to rescure me, that's when we decided to come here."

  
    Levi, felt kinda sorry for her, children shouldn't have to lose their innocence at such young ages. He himself  
envied children that giggled without fully understanding how fucked up the world they lived in was. Turns out that was true  
for the rest of the world, not just the one behind the walls.

  
     "That sucks. Something similar happened to Mikasa when she was a kid, but like you she made it out alive. You won."

  
    Anya looked at him, she couldn't believe she just told a complete stranger about that time. She remember Argo,  
telling her & Alistair everyone's names.

  
    "Yours & Mikasa's last name is Ackerman, right?"

  
    "Yeah, what of it?"

  
    "Nothing." She moved her legs to sit Indian style, "It just explains the same dead-pan attitudes you two share."

  
     "What the fuck is that suppose to mean?"

  
     "We have a relative of yours in Valhalla, he's a bloody pain in our asses. We've been guiding the souls of your  
family for generations, well over a hundred years now." She looked him strait in the eyes "I wonder if you're the  
nephew he's always going on about. You happen to know a Kenny Ackerman?" her head tilted to the side.

  
     She had just shared a personal story with him, it by no means meant he had to share any personal information about  
himself. "He was my uncle." He answered.

  
    "In that case I have one question."

  
     "What?" He took another cigg she had offered him letting her light it while he sucked in air. "How do you do that?"  
He pointed his cigarette at hers as she snapped her fingers.

 

   "Oh, it's a simple spell. Snap you fingers & say 'Incendo'"

  
     Levi gave it a try, little sparks flew at his finger tips to his surprise.

 

    "There ya go, keep at it & soon you won't need to say the word."

  
     He smirked, "Huh, so both magic & Valhalla exist. Won't Armin be thrilled." He looked back at Anya. "What's your  
question?"

  
    She couldn't hide the glee in her voice as she asked, "What the bloody hell is it with you Ackermans & shit jokes?  
For as long as we can remember we haven't met one of you that doesn't constantly make them."

  
   He shrugged, he never really gave it much thought, he just figured he picked up the habit from Kenny when he was  
living with him. Mikasa made them every now & then but not much. He changed the subject back to her.

  
    "I saw that most of the people here have white wings like your brothers, & that they wear the same uniform." He  
took a puff from his cigg, he was mostly just letting it burn, only taking a drag here & there. "But you & your buddies  
wear purple, your wings are the same colour. Why's that?"

  
 And there was the question Anya had been waiting for since they met on the ship.

  
    "Our wings & uniforms are different because we're Arcainics. The colour marks are station." She took a long drag bidding her time, she really  
hated explaining this shit. "We're the only Valkyries that can enter different planes, Valhalla, Hell, Heaven. It's our duty  
to be judge & jury for the souls of warriors, soldier, pretty much anyone whose fought all their life."

  
    Levi expelled the last bit of smoke from his lungs, "Why is that your job?"

  
   Anya did the same, extinguishing the cherry of the cigg with her finger tips. "God's job is to judge the good,  
Lucifer judges the wicked, but what do you do with the souls of those who no choice to do immoral things?"

  She looked at him, "Take yourself & your comrades for example. I'm sure you each have had more than your fair share of killing people,  
being soldiers it's part of your duty, correct. However you didn't do it because you enjoyed it or wanted too. You had to,  
whether it was to protect someone, or simply to survive. That's where Arcainics come in. We're unbiased when it comes to  
your souls. We don't care what cause you were fighting for, whether the side you were on was good or bad, or even if you  
were military personnel. Bottom line, if you were a natural fighter, strong willed, we bring that soul to Valhalla, so that  
they can be reincarnated into a Valkyrie themselves."

  
    He wondered how many of his fallen comrades Anya herself might have taken to Valhalla, & if any of them have been  
reborn yet. He hoped they were all happy there & that they would be reborn into Valkyries. They deserves to have wings,  
& to fly higher than their gear could take them before, it was about time the wings they so proudly wore on their backs  
gave them true flight.

  
    "How come I don't see a lot of you guys on the island?" He asked.

  
    "Arcainics? We're rare, there's probably only fifty of us total."

  
   "Why are you so damn rare?"

  
    She chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to find the right words to answer that.

   "Because not everyone can make it out of Hell alive."

  It was the answer she had also gave Lucifer when he asked her if she understood why Arcainics were  
giving to him to train. It only seemed fitting to say it again to those Sapphire eyes.

  
    "Huh?"

  
     Anya let the question hang in the air & looked out over the horizon. The sun had finally reached the mountain top,  
soon everyone would be wake up & readying for the day.

  
     "I'll explain another time. We better start climbing down & get ready for breakfast. I don't know about you, but  
I'd like a shower first."

  
    Levi looked over the hills & pass the village to the castle now sparkling in the morning sunlight. It was a shame  
the clouds would block it out later. He agreed & they started their decent back down the mountain side.

   As they worked their way down to the base they both thought about the talk they shared. A lot was revealed but so much

still went unsaid on both sides. In the end they had both decided that the other was worth respecting.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter has much as I enjoyed writing it! I stayed up until 3 am writing it because there was just so much going on in my mind I had to get it all down. I haven't started chapter 4 yet, but chances are I'll start today and finish soon. please feel free to leave comments, I would love to hear your feed back on "Valor"!


	4. Soups on Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya is pressed to explained her position as an Arcainic & the scouts ease their way into the triplet's trust.

 

 

      The table was filled end to end with a plethora of food. Eggs, sausage, pancake, bacon, milk, orange juice.  
Sasha was drooling at the sight. "Oh wow, look at this feast. Most of these you can't get behind the Walls!"

  
   They all sat down to a table that was smaller than what they were excepting. They thought it would one of those long,  
banquet style ones that were used by nobles at fancy parties. Nope, not this one. The royal family sat right next to the  
scouts. The King at one end, Hanji on the other. The only person that wasn't there yet was Anya, an empty chair waiting  
for her between her Uncle & Levi.

  
 "Everyone, please enjoy & eat to your hearts content!" Proclaim King Klein.

  
 "In that case your cooks are going to have to cook more food." Connie pointed at Sasha has she scarfed down the  
sweet, round flat pastries drowning in syrup. Laughter danced across the table.

  
 "Well since you all are our guest, what would you like for dinner tonight?" Asked the King.

  
 "Doesn't matter what we want as long as it's food." A sharp pain shot though Levi's shin where Hanji kicked him  
under the tabel. "Your Highness." he finished.

  
 "Non sense. There must be something you're craving." King Klein didn't seem bothered by Levi's statement.

  
The scouts became quite. Whispers & murmurs drifted from one ear to the other as they decided what they wanted to sink  
their teeth into. They had grown accustom to just eating the military rations, not having a choice in what to eat when  
it came to the normal bread, bean soup, chunk of dried meat & maybe, if they were lucky, a cup of black tea. A few minutes  
pass when Armin spoke for everyone.

  
 "Princess Anya mentioned that you have fleets of ships meant for fishing. Uh- we've never had fish before."

  
The King clapped with glee, "Then a seafood feast it shall be tonight!"

  
 "Yum, I like fish."

  
Alistair began snickering next to Argo.

  
 "You like fish, huh, Argo. Are you sure your gay?"

  
 "Well, yeah, I've-" He slowly realized what Alistair was playing at. "Aw, fuck you!" He punched his arm.

  
Alistair laughed louder rubbing the spot Argo struck, "No thanks, I'm not into incest."

  
 "Whose into incest?" Anya approached the table, a tea pot in each hand.

  
 "Our brother has some interesting kinks." Alistair answered.

  
 "Gay & into incest. Wow, Argo, you're a freak." Anya smiled placing the tea pots on the table.

  
 "Not as much as you are dear, sweet sister." Argo mused, still hitting Alistair in the arm.

  
 Anya flicked her fingers at him, a small purple spark flying from her finger & hitting Argo in the head.

  
 "Anya, Alistair, stop ganging up on your brother." The King scolded them as if they were still children, a smirk  
hiding under his hand as he took a bite of fruit.

  
 "You're absolutely right, father." Anya sang, "Argo might get the wrong idea, now that we know this new kink of his."

  
 The scouts tried to contain their laughter, but seeing the King lose his composer, the entire table erupted with  
laughter. The only one not joining in the fun was the Arch Duke. He continued to take tiny bites from his small plate, a look  
of detest on his face as if the food, or the topic of conversation, wasn't to his liking.  
 Levi hid his smirk in the tea cup Anya had just handed him, if he found anything humorous, he wasn't showing it.

  
 "You just had to take it a step farther, didn't you sis." Argo took the cup of tea Anya held out for him.  
 "What took you so long to join us, find someone to ruffle your feathers last night?" He poked fun with her.

  
 "Patience is a virtue when brewing a proper pot of tea." Anya retorted finally sitting down with a cup for herself.  
Her father reached over her Uncle to hand her a plate of food. Anya asked where her niece Little Lottie was & Alistair explained  
that she was at the orphanage with the other kids. They were planning on putting together a soccer match later, & wanted  
to make sure they have everything needed.

  
 "Speaking of missing family members, where's Xander? Haven't seen him in a while." Alistair asked before shoveling  
eggs into his mouth.

 

Anya looked at the plates of food & spotted the sausages. "I see his favourite on the table, he'll  
be here soon."  A squeaky roar brought everyone's attention to one of the large windows that encased the dinning hall.  
 A small grey lizard with wings flew strait to Anya, landing on her shoulder before jumping onto the table to pick  
at the sausage on her plate.

  
 All of the scouts jumped from the table reaching for the blades they didn't wear. Shouts of the same question rang  
through the hall starting with Levi.

  
 "What is that thing?!"

  
 Anya scratched under his chin making cooing sounds as she gave him a sausage link from her plate.  
 "This is Xander, he's a dragon."

  
 Everyone slowly returned to their seats, fear & confusing being replaced by amusement & curiosity.

  
 "He's so tiny, he must still be a baby." Hanji stared at him a fork of pancakes suspended over her plate. The only  
one of the scouts that continue to eat was Sasha.

  
 "Actually Xander's a runt so he's full grown." Anya explained still scratching under his head.

  
 "Our sister has a soft spot for small things like herself."

  
 "Shut up, Al. I may be short but I can still kick your ass."

  
 "Oh, Levi knows all about being short & tough."Hanji teased "Don't you Levi!"

  
 Levi glared at her going back to his tea.

  
 "How did you get him?" Eren pointed to Xander.

  
 The triplets took turns telling the story of the time they went to the far side of the island. They were bored & had  
heard rumors about them. They read about them in books full of fairy tales, but they didn't  
 believe that they truly exist. That was until they saw them up close. The creatures were magnificent. Their scales  
glistening in the morning sun, their beautiful out-stretched wings three times that of Valkyries. They were the fairy  
tales brought to life.

  They had come up to a nest with eggs, the shells were smooth & warm under their touch. One of them  
began to shake & the triplets scurried behind a fallen log, yelling & cursing at each other to 'hurry up' & 'Last one left  
behind was dragon shit'. All four eggs soon started to crack one by one. Little claws & snouts emerging from the now  
broken casings with cries of hunger. A gust of wind caught the triplets off guard, pushing them to the ground as a dragon  
with cobra black skin settled next to the infants. Mother had come to clean & feed them.  
   They watched in aww keeping their distance as the family came together. The babies stretched their wings, & played  
with one another, nipping & pawing while their mother looked down on them. The sun was high in the sky when the mother  
took to the sky, her babies following her leaving the nest, but only three of the baby dragons left. Still curled in the  
side of the nest laid a tiny gray lump. The other three dragons were about the size of one year old pups, this one however  
was a new born kitten. Too small to fly away with his brothers & sisters. His mother didn't even clean him after hatching.  
   He was left behind to die.

  
 "We can't just leave it."

  
 "Where the bloody hell are we going to put a dragon, Anya?"

  
 "He's small enough to hide someplace." The triplets argued amongst themselves about taking the baby dragon in.

  
 "You don't know anything about them!"

  
 "I'll figure it out as I go." Anya wrapped the tiny creature in the picnic blanket they used to carry food in.  
It was so cold, she couldn't tell if it shivered out of fear or temperature as it looked up at her with big, golden eyes.

  
Her brothers knew that her mind was set & there was no changing it. She was going home with the damn thing whether they  
liked it or not.

  It was evening when they got back to the castle, the first thing Anya did was sneak into the kitchen to  
get milk for Xander as she had named him. Argo had provided her with a large pipette to serve as a bottle from his clinic.  
 After Xander had his fill of milk the next task was the issue of where to keep him. She was still sleeping in their  
father's castle as her tea shop was still being built, she had to be careful with having him in her room. Sure enough  
as she said before he was small enough to make a bed out of an empty drawer.

  Over the next few weeks she managed to take care of him in between military & royal obligation. He grew bigger each day, the draw remaining the perfect size bed for him.  
  Anya had kept Xander a secret for almost two months before a maid entered her room to clean up & they startled each other.

  
 "Anya had to plea with me to keep him." Her father finished off the story, "I gave in knowing that she would have  
kept him even if I said 'no'. The two of them have been insuperable ever since."

  
 "It's like having a cat with wings." Anya made Xander is own little plate, so she could eat herself.

  
 "Well he won't be at the ball, so make sure he stays in that tea shop of yours." It was the first thing the Arch  
Duke as said since he sat down. The triplets froze, whatever they held stopping in mid-air.

  
 "What ball?" Argo's voice was so timid it was almost impossible to hear it.

  
 "Oh, the ball your father is throwing for your birthday." Their Uncle spoke sneer, he knew his niece & nephews hated  
the fancy parties, it forced them to act prim & proper. He took pleasure in see them behave the way a King's children should.

  
 The triplets quickly looked at each other, their chairs scratching against the floor as they stood, spouting excuses to leave the table.

  
 "I have to do some blood test."

  
 "Need to make sure the kids cleaned up after themselves."

  
 "I have hounds to train."

  
 They each made their way to the door, their father calling after them.

  
 "You might want to cover your ears." He addressed the scouts. "This is going to be loud."

  
 Confused the scouts complied bringing their hands up to cover their ears. The king raised his hand.  
 Three bolts of lighting dropped from the ceiling striking the triplets & sending them flying back, landing on their  
backs next to the scouts.

 

 "What the hell! Did he just electrocute them!" One of the scouts shouted.  
   
 "Ouch."

  
 "We should have seen that coming." They moaned & groaned picking them selves off the ground to head back to their  
seats.

  
 Xander was rolling on his back, an awkward squeak escaping his throat.

  
 "What are you laughing at, you bloody winged lizard." Anya took the last link off of Xander's plate & took a bite.  
He flipped back over whining, & nuzzling her hand as if he were apologizing.  
 "Oh, alright." She held the link out for him & he ate it in one bite.

  
 "So when is this ball?" Alistair asked.

  
 "In two days, I've been planning it for a month now. Everything's all set."

  
 The three of them sighed in unison. "There's no getting out of it, is there?" Argo reached for his ciggs before  
realizing he had to wait until he was outside. No smoking allowed indoors, at least not in front of their father.

  
 "No." Was all their father had to say. Anymore questions or protest & he would have launched into a lecture of how  
certain things were expected of the royal family. Especially with multiple children born in one birth. Children were  
rare among the Valkyrie species, not only was conception difficult, but child birth was the leading cause of death among  
the women.

 Even being born fifty years a part the king & his brother were rare when it came to Valkyries births, but not  
as rare has his children. As much as the triplets hated it, they understood, & they sucked it up for their father.

  
 "Anya, make sure you take smaller bite during the ball. The way you usually wolf down your meals is so un-lady like."

  
 She stopped chewing & glanced at Sasha who embarrassedly placed her fork down on her plate. Taking a swig of tea to  
help wash down what was left in her mouth she turned to her uncle.

  
 "Don't worry Uncle Bergot , I know how to play my role. I'll wear the gown, wear the family jewels, & mind my manners.  
I'll be your perfect shitty princess." She stood pushing her chair in. "Now if you'll all excuse me, I have a tea shop to  
run." She stormed out of the dinning hall before her uncle had a chance to tell her to watch her tongue.

 

\--

  
   
    Bundles of purple flowers hung the on the wirer branches of Wisterias giving the appearance of a grape vineyard  
 surrounding the two-story cottage. The poisonous, yet beautiful blooms dubbing Anya's tea shop "Wisteria Grove". Some of  
the trees grew as high as her cottage making them the perfect spot for couples to hide away with their cups of tea &  
trays of sweets, others were just the right size for creatures like Xander to tuck themselves under for a nap.  
   Inside was peaceful. Soft music filtered into the first story from the gramophone in the corner. The scent of  
freshly brew tea perfumed the air accompanied by fresh baked pastries.

 

  The lunch rush was over, but a few people were still coming in for the day's special.

 Not only was Anya's shop known for the Wisteria trees & her homemade brews, but also because she never had the same menu.

She cooked whatever she wanted on the days she wasn't busy commanding her army, or  
negotiating a new alliance between another kingdom, so everyday was something different. Today she decided on a brothy  
noodle soup, the chicken, & veggies offering a comforting flavor for the rainy day.  
 Hush voices spread through out the shop, a too loud chuckle or sigh penetrated the atmosphere every now & then as  
people read, talked, or just sat staring out the windows with a steaming cup in front of them.

  
 The bell on the front door rang announcing the arrival of Mikasa, Eren, & Levi. Anya waved at them to come into the  
kitchen through the open shutters above the stove.

  
 "You have any work for these two?" Levi nodded his head to Eren & Mikasa.

  
 "Are they any good at washing dishes?"

  
 "Eren's pretty good when it comes to cleaning."

  
 "Then he can wash & Mikasa can dry, more work will pop up as the day goes by."

  
 She quickly carried out two bowls of soup to a table with a little girl & a man that looked to be her father.  
When she returned Eren & Mikasa had already began to wash & dry. Levi looked at the array of teas on the back wall. The  
glass jars displaying the many herbs Anya used to create her blends. He'd pick one off the shelf, sniff it & then put it back  
before choosing another.

  
 "Where are the others?" She asked putting another batch of soup to simmer.

  
 "Four-eyes, Armin & Jean are at the clinic with Argo, & Sasha & Connie are helping Alistiar at the Brat house."

  
 She moved back & forth from the kitchen to the dinning room carrying cups of tea to tables & bring back empty  
bowls to put into the sink. Once the soup was done she poured four bowls & set them down on the table by the back door of  
the kitchen. She tapped Eren & Mikasa's shoulder, "Hey brats, come & eat."

  
 She brewed a pot of tea, filling a cup by each bowl.  
 "You too, Levi, come eat."

  
 He stayed looking at the tea. "Not hungry."

  
 Mikasa held her hair back from her face as she breathed in the salty aroma. "It smells delicious."

  
 Eren was slurping spoonful's into his mouth, "Yeah Captain, it tastes really good."

  
 "Again, I'm not hungry." He picked up a jar full of what looked like dried grass clippings to him, but smelled  
like fresh mint.

  
 "Oi!" Levi turned around to see Anya staring at him, one hand on her hip the other propping her against the table.  
 "The only thing you had to eat at breakfast was tea, you need food. So come sit your ass down & eat!"

  
 He looked at the table & noticed that she had already set a bowl of soup & a cup of tea for him. He plopped himself  
into the seat next to her & begrudgingly sipped from the spoon. Shit the brats were right. It _was_ delicious.

  
 "Not bad . _Princess_ " Was all he was willing to admit.

  
 Eren had finished his bowl & asked if he could possibly have seconds. Anya didn't have an issue with it as long as  
it didn't slow him down with washing the dishes. Shortly after he started in on his second bowl a man's voice could be  
heard shouting from the dinning room. Anya walked over to the opening above the stove, Levi right behind her.

  
 The father of the little girl had taken the bowl of soup meant for her & began eating it himself while telling her  
she was a waste of space. Anya grabbed another bowl & filled it to the brim with soup.

  
 "Mikasa, do my a favor, lass & fetch Al for me please." Mikasa nodded & jogged out the back door on her way to the  
orphanage. Eren stopped eating & stood next to Levi when Anya placed the new bowl in front of the soup.

  
 The man went to reach for it, "I'm not paying for that!" he sprayed bits of soup has he slurred his word between  
spoonful's. The tip of Anya's dagger rested between his fingers, blocking him from taking the bowl away from the soup.

  
 "It's on the house."

  
 "You could've taken my fingers off, you crazy bitch!"

  
 Anya ignored the man facing the young, too thin girl. "Let me know if you want anymore, Lassie."  
A bruise can been seen under the collar of her shirt.

  
 "She's not going to need anymore." The man drank the remaining soup in his bowl, streams of it pooling out the  
side of his mouth. "If she gets fat I won't be able to marry her off once she gets her wings." He slammed the bowl down.  
"If you're handing out free bowls I'll have another. Along with a pint of ale."

  
 Plastering a fake toothy smile Anya addressed the man in the most, chirper, voice she could mock up. "Well of course,  
Sir. Right away."

  
 Levi & Eren watched as she filled yet another bowl for the father.  
 "You're not going to let that bastard get away with that are you?" She ignored Eren, going back to the table.

  
 "Hey! Where's my beer-"

  
 Hot soup splashed onto the floor & the table as Anya dumped the bowl onto the man's head. The entire shop stop to  
watch the spectacle unravel.

  
 "You're a fucking, crazy-ass bitch, you know that!"

  
 Anya grabbed the man's shirt, making the chair topple over when she yanked him up. "Yes, & you're nothing but an  
abusive piece of shit, starving & beating your daughter!"

  
 Another customer held the door open as she dragged the man, tossing him out. Unintelligible profanity spurring when  
he hit the ground. "Don't bother coming back, I don't allow swine in my shop!"

  
 The dinning room erupted with the sounds of cheers & applause while Anya lead the child into the kitchen.  
Levi was already placing a bowl of soup in front of her when she sat down at the kitchen table. The three of them watched  
as she finished it off, asking if she wanted more & refilling the empty bowl when she nodded.

  Her name was Sadonia. She was twelve year old, only two years older than Little Lottie, & like so many women, her mother had died in child birth.  
  Alistair had brought Argo with him as they entered the kitchen. Anya explained the issues she had with the father  
& the bruises she had noticed on her neck, all of them suspecting more covered her body. Argo mentioned how thin the girl  
was & that she also might be malnourished   , she would need to be in the clinic for a bit before Alistair could take her to the  
orphanage.

  
 Alistair asked where the father was now, angry settling in his green eyes. Being a father himself he simply, didn't  
understand how people could treat their children so poorly. Too everyone's surprised Levi answered saying that hopefully the  
guy was in a ditched somewhere licking his burns like the dog he is. Anya excused herself to go clean up the soup mess she  
made in the dinning room, when Levi stopped her saying that he had already instructed Eren to do it. Sure enough, Eren  
could be seen through the shutters mopping up the liquid.

  
 A high pitched whine from outside grew louder as Mikasa & the others trailed behind a little girl in a yellow dress.

  
 "Auntttyyyy, Anyyyyaaaa!" Anya knelt down in time for her niece to burst through the door & slam her petite body into  
her open arms.  For such a frail-looking girl her hugs were vices squeezing the air out of Anya's lungs.

  
 "Well hi there Little Wings." Anya laughed. The kitchen grew smaller as everyone made their way through the back  
door. Armin, Sasha, & Connie rested their hands on their knees panting, trying to catch their breathes.

  
 "She rounded all of us up after she told her grandfather to postpone the seafood feast." Hanji spoke up.

  
 "At least we get to have it at the ball." Sasha said between breathes.

  
 "I told him we were on a rescue mission!" Little Lottie looked over at Sadonia. Her bright, gleeful smile, dropping  
from her face at the sight of the girl that should bigger than her. She turned back, shaking her head & replacing her smile.

  
 "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to complete it!" She wiggled her way between her Aunt & Uncle picking two sweet  
cakes out of the display & marched over to the table. She held one of the treats out to Sadonia.

  
 "Hi! I'm Charlotte, but you can call me Little Lottie, everyone else dose." She scooted her butt into the chair  
next to the shy child that picked at the cake. Lottie took a bite too big for her mouth out of hers.

  
 "You don't have to worry about your mean dad anymore. My Uncle Argo will make you all better at his clinic. He's a  
really good doctor, the best there is, he takes care of everybody on the island! & then when you're all better, you're  
going to come live with me, & my daddy, & all the other kids he takes care of. It's like having a lot of brothers & sisters!  
But it's fun because there's always someone to play with!" She took another large bite out her cake, not caring about  
everyone watching her, her focus was on Sadonia & Sadonia only. "I'm ten, how old are you?"  
 Sadonia cautiously brought her eyes up to look at the cheerful, girl that sat next to her, her voice so soft when  
she answered. "I'm twelve..."

  
 Little Lottie's eyes grew wider, excitement showing in the way she jumped in her chair clapping her hands.  
 "Twelve! That means you should get your wings soon! I can't wait to get my wings, I want them to be the pretty  
purple like my Aunt Anya's!" She pointed her Aunt out. "She's the one that saved you! She's an Arcainic you know!  
That means her soul was trained in Hell so she can take brave souls to Valhalla. She's fought demons, &-"

  
 "That's enough Charlotte." Alistair scolded

  
 "Oops, sorry." Little Lottie whispered into Sadonia's ear "I'll tell you more later."

  
 Argo knelt in front of the young girl. "Are you ready to go to the clinic, Love?" He held his hand out for her to  
take. "I promise no harm will come to you, I only look scary because of thee beard." He tugged on his beard making the girl  
smile for the first time. She nodded & took his hand. Little Lottie was leaving with them when she stopped & turned around.

  
 "Oh, I almost forgot. Aunt Anya, the soccer match is going to be tomorrow, will you come watch?"

  
 "I wouldn't miss it Little Wings."

  
 "Good, you can bring your new friends too, maybe you can all play a match with us!"

  
 Anya loved her niece's spirit, it was hard not to be happy with her around. "Maybe, we will Little Wings."

  
 Little Lottie took her father's hand & skipped out of the shop, catching up with Argo & Sadonia.

  
 "She's adorable!" Hanji squealed.

  
 "Yeah, she's a sweet little thing, spunky too, she's practically not afraid of anything. Al's going to have his hands  
full once her wings come in."

  
 "Will she be an Arcainic like you?" Jean sat next to Sasha & Connie.

  
 Anya shook her head, "No, thankfully. She'll most likely be an Elemental, like her mum & dad. Maybe a storm like her  
granddad."

  
 "What did she mean when she said your soul trained in hell?" Leave it to Armin to ask the question Anya was hoping  
to avoid.

  
 She sighed & looked out into the dinning room. Only a couple to people were left, so asking them to leave wouldn't  
be too rude. "Let me close up shop first. I hate explaining this as it is, I don't need customers over hearing it."

  
 They agreed & sat around the table. Levi had taken it upon himself to get a pot of tea brewing picking up a glass  
jar filled with rose petals, lavender, & black tea. The customers bided her good byes & praised her for helping the young  
girl out as they left to let her close up the shop, saying they'll be by again.

  
 The tea was poured & a seat waited for her, once again all chatter ceased when she entered the kitchen. She looked  
around trying to fine a reason to stall, but the shutters above the stove had already been shut & locked. Eren had cleaned  
the mess in the dinning room, dishes were washed, dried & put up. She could say she had to empty the display of pastries,  
but that would take too long, & everyone gather in closer to the table, hands wrapped around tea cups.  
 Another sigh left her lips. "Let's get this over with."

  
 She sat down, Levi handed her a cup. The tea he picked wasn't one she would have chosen, but she was glad that  
someone had made some, & that it wasn't the same she had when she first spoke with Lucifer. No one said anything, or  
pressured her to start. They all just sat there, waiting, taking sips from their cups, no one stared her down with  
impatience  as she took her time drinking her tea. Levi poured more into her cup when she emptied it.

  
 "The souls of people meant to become Arcainics are trained in Hell. We are born from Lucifer's harshest flames."

  
 "Whose Lucifer?" Everyone glared at Connie for interrupting.

  
 "You might know him as the Devil."

  
 "So, wait, God & the Devil are real?!"

  
 "Connie, shut up & let her talk!" Eren said a little too loudly.

  
 Anya took another sip of her tea, contemplating how to continue. Images of fighting swam through her mind.

  
 "When our soul's pervious life dies, we're escorted to hell. There we fight demons, Angels, other Arcainics train  
us. We're turned into clean slates." She saw her cup was empty again & poured more only to find the pot empty. She thought  
about getting up to make more, but that'd only be an excuse to stop talking.

  
 "They weed us out, at the beginning there's over five hundred new recruits, by the end of it all only of us  
 five made it. We're the ones that made it out of Hell alive. It felt like an eternity of torture, but I was probably only  
there for the better half of a thousand years. The worst part was having to fight your own demons...".

  
 She thought back to the souls she had to tortured, it was either do it, or her own soul would be lost in purgatory.  
She didn't have a choice. She didn't want to do it, it didn't matter what they had done during their life, they were once  
human too damn it! Just like she is!.... _was_..... just like she was... in order to become an Arcainic you have do abandon  
your compassion, your empathy, your humanity. Everything that made her human was gone. To Accurately judge those who fight  
for survival, you must first survive yourself.

 

"We become the monsters we feared."

  
 Anya knew she wasn't explaining anything, but she couldn't help getting lost in her thoughts. With out another word  
she stood up & went up stairs to her room, leaving everyone there. Once she was safe in her room she lend against her door  
as if the thing wasn't going to stay shut. She felt something warm running down her face, when she looked at her hand after  
wiping her cheek it glistened with the wetness of tears. As if it wasn't bad enough that she wasn't able to articulate  
herself properly downstairs. She let her head dropped back onto her door. "Fuck...".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone whose reading! I know it's not what everyone is really expecting for a SNK fanifc, but I'm really proud of it and appreciate everyone that is reading, please feel free to comment and; let me know what you think.  
> This chapter is a bit shorter than my others, but I really wanted to introduce Xander the dragon ( He's based off my cat, I call him my fluffy dragon) and; Little Lottie, she's so damn sweet, I wanted to portray her generosity and; kindness!


	5. Balls & Ballet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A soccer match with the scouts and triplets, an eruri moment in Levi's head, and a secret talent of Anya's is brought to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter starts off with one of Anya's dreams from her soul's training days. And yes my OTP is Eruri! So prepare to have lots and lots of eruri moments sprinkled throughout this fic!

 

 

    _All I could see was the black abyss before me. There was no bright light at the end of the tunnel, no relatives_  
_waiting for me, nothing that we were told would happened. Just a black emptiness. I couldn't have waited long, but without_  
_anything to occupy the void but your thoughts, time turned infinite._

_A figured appeared in front of me, the glow around him the only source of light, but he was no angel._

  
_"Are you the Arcainic Lucifer said would come to take me back to Hell?"_

  
_He held out his hand. "Yes." I place my  hand in his & be began walking in empty space. No walls, floor, or path_  
_to guide us, only a feeling of knowing, an instinct._

  
_"My name is Maxell." His voice was sweet, rich southern honey. The kind that you put in a bitter tea when you were_  
_sick to coat your throat. "What is your name, sweetheart?"_

  
_I knew he was only trying to be nice, but knowing what I was about to enter sapped all feeling I had in me. Not to_  
_add salt to a wound, but how could the dead feel anything, I was empty like the void we strolled through._  
_"It doesn't matter. I'm going to be turned into a clean slate anyways. My mind will be wiped. The life I just lived_  
_erased."_

  
_"Fair enough."_

  
_We didn't speak after that, the only sound to be heard was our lungs filling with air, just expel it back out._  
_Out of the darkness a path made of skeletons rested on nothing, an iron gate guarding my new home._  
_"This is it." I didn't realized I had spoken I was so numb._

  
_Maxell stopped us just short of the closed gates._

  
_"Listen sweetheart, chances are Lucifer didn't tell you everything about being an Arcainic."_

  
_"I know he didn't, he said he didn't want to get my hopes up in case I didn't pass my test."_

  
_He laughed through his nose. "Yeah he told the rest of us the same thing. What the bastard - excuse my French-_  
_didn't tell you is that this isn't just training. This is another test too see if you can survive. It's brutal & not_  
_everyone is cut out to become one of us. If you fail, you don't get to stay in Hell or go to Heaven or whatever you may_  
_believe in. Your soul will be lost in Purgatory."_

  
_His words were the cold splash of ice water I needed to waken my sense. All at once my heart starting beating,_  
_my blood began rushing through my veins as I tried to wrap my head around what he was telling me._

  
_"It's a cruel, sick game to God & Lucifer. From the first time we speak to Lucifer for our test, any & all choice_  
_we once had is ripped from us. It's either fight to become an Arcainic, or your soul will perish."_  
_He stood there shaking his head as his grip on my arms grew tighter. "I probably went to church to worship him._  
_I can't recall."_

  
_His eyes shot to mine. "Whatever you do, you can't stop fighting. You are going to have to do things you never_  
_thought you could do, but NEVER! STOP! FIGHTING! SURVIVE!"_

  
_The gates slowly broke down its seam letting heat & light engulf in the void around us. I could see the demons_  
_torturing souls like before, screams & laughter becoming a harmonic rhythm to the bangs & clangs of the demon's instruments._

  
_"I'm so sorry for the things you must do, but please understand it will all be worth it to become one of us."_

  
_Maxell threw me through the gates. The path I was just standing on gone & hands wrapped their rough, slender fingers_  
_around my throat before I could scream. It had begun. I was being dragged back into Hell._

 

\--

 

   
   The night air drifted through Anya's window grazing her cold-sweat covered skin. She hadn't thought about Maxell  
in ages. She would see him time to time after she was reborn, the first time being after she & her brothers reconnected with  
their father. He was the first one to tell her the truth about becoming an Arcainic. The fear in his eyes when he spoke  
standing at the gates of hell will forever be ingrained in her mind.  
   Anya shook the thought from her head as she got out of bed. The memory wasn't truly a nightmare, but it still  
wasn't what you would call pleasant. She padded down the steps that lead into shop's kitchen. The lights were still on  
as she excepted since she left the scouts sitting at the table without returning. She went to grab the kettle from its  
spot on the stove, only to discover it wasn't there.

  
 "Where did they leave you?" she asked the air as she began looking for her tea kettle. A soft snoring brought her  
head up to the kitchen table. Levi had his arms tucked under his head. An open book laid next to him on the table, along  
with a cup of tea that had gone cold, & there sat her tea kettle. The copper sides reflecting the light.  
   She quietly filled & placed the kettle on the stove so she didn't disturb him. While the low flame worked its way  
heating the water her eyes were glue to him. His black, clipped hair fell into his face, his mouth agape ever so slightly

& he still wore the white button down, with the sleeves rolled up & tucked into the black slacks he had worn that day.

  
  She had to admit, he was handsome for someone who was shorter than herself. She could even see herself being  
attracted to him if it weren't for his eyes. Those ridiculous sapphire blue gems.  
  He must have sensed her staring at him as he stirred awake.

  
 "Morning." Anya busied herself, grabbing cups & tea leaves off the shelves.

  
 Levi looked at her, then out the window. "Its still dark out, what time is it?" His voice was still rough from  
sleep.

  
 "About four. Tea?"

  
 "Yeah." The grogginess had left his voice.

  
 She placed the pot down replacing his old cup with a fresh clean one. He poured the tea.  
Anya fought with a piece of her hair the refused to stay up in the clip she threw it in. The curls of her bangs wanting to  
rest against the side of her face. Finally she gave up on trying to put it back up, & swiped it behind her right ear to have  
it fall back again.

  
 "I didn't mean to wake you."

  
 Levi tore his eyes away from her brown locks. "You didn't. I'm just a light sleeper. & you don't need to worry  
about earlier either. We've been there before, You'll talk when you want to."

  
 She nodded thanks & stared out the window. Levi picked up his book & continued reading.  
 They sat not speaking using only nods to thank the other when their cup of filled with more tea. The quiet was nice,  
peaceful. Anya would have to start prepping to open the shop for the day soon, she wondered what she should make for lunch.  
Her manager Elixcia would be closing up today so she could go to Little Lottie's match.

  
 She glanced at the book in Levi's hand. _The Princess Bride_. Levi didn't hear the scoff she let out.

  
  _"Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Hahahaha-"_ Anya switched voices trying to imitate the  
characters. _"And to think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned." "They were both poisoned. I spent a few years_  
_building up an immunity to iocane powder."_ She finished.

  
 "What?" He placed his cup he had just taken a sip from down.

  
 "Its a couple of lines from the book you're reading. Its one of my favourite scenes."

  
 "I haven't gotten that far yet."

  
 Anya saw his thumb marking the page he was on. Levi was lying he was well beyond the poison scene.

  
 "Oh, well now you have that to look forward too."

  
 "Guess so." He finished off his cup.

  
 They were into their third pot of tea when Anya decided to start prepping the shop. Today would be simple, so  
Elixcia could keep serving lunch after Anya had left. Sliced chicken sandwiches, served on a warm butter croissant with  
all the trimmings. "Shit!" She remembered she forget about the pastries. Rushing to the display to throw out the old ones,  
she saw that it had already been emptied  & wiped down. There wasn't a single crumb.

  
 "I took care of that." Levi answered her puzzled face without looking up from his book.

  
 "Thank you, I appreciate it."

  
 He shrugged still reading. "Someone had to do it. After everyone went back to the castle, I came back to clean up."  
Now he looked at the shelf of teas "Plus I wanted more tea."

  
 She turned to face him her hand once again on her hip. "So, after you cleaned up you stayed here all night long for  
tea?"

  
 Levi whipped his head in her direction annoyed. "That's what it looks like, right? You have some teas I've never  
heard of before, they're not bad either."

  
 Anya huffed a laugh, her face sporting a grin. "Well to know my blends meet your tea pleasing needs." She picked  
up a jar of red herbs, inside were roses, lavender, strawberries, hibiscus flowers, & cinnamon. The scent tickled her nose  
when she popped the lid. "You've never of heard of them because I make them." She placed the jar back in its spot.  
 Levi poured himself more tea, this time his face was puzzled.

  
 "What do you mean you make them. You boil water & let the leaves brew."

  
 The laugh the left Anya's mouth surprised them both. Levi because he didn't understand what was so damn funny, &  
Anya because she couldn't believe she laughed that hard.

  
 "That's how you brew tea. I collect the herbs, leaves, flowers, the stuff that makes the brews & mix them together  
for my own blends. My brother's & I couldn't afford medicine so I fine whatever herbs I could, from markets or even from  
the land & make teas for us when we were sick."

  
 Looking out the window Levi put his book down, his tea cup remaining in his hand. "I didn't see a garden full of  
herbs anywhere around here. Just those damn purple flowers."

  
 Anya had gone back to prepping the shop. She got to work on mixing a batter for cakes, trying not to powder the floor  
with flour. She hated cleaning so the last thing she wanted was a reason to have to do just that.

  
 "Al has the green thumb, so he grows the ingredients for me. I can only grow poisonous plants, hence all the Wisterias."

  
 Levi didn't say anything as he watched her load the cake pans into the over, making sure she didn't make a mess of  
the kitchen he spent a couple of hours cleaning up. The place wasn't filthy, Anya did a decent job keeping the shop neat  
& tidy, but when it came to a place where people eat you could never be too clean.

  
 Her Irish accent hit his ears. Her voice was surprisingly husky with an accent that appeared to get a bit pitchy  
every now & then. It did get on his nerves, but it wasn't unpleasant either.

  
 "Oi, did ya hear me?"

  
 "Huh?" The question bring him out of his thoughts.

  
 "I said I have a few spare room upstairs if you want to use one. They have their own bathrooms & you won't have to  
share a room with the brats. Plus access to all the tea you want as a bonus."

  
 It wasn't a bad offer. He didn't mind sharing a room with the boys but when it came to just wanting peace, & quiet  
to be alone with his thought, they had a tendency to get a bit loud. Especially Eren & Jean. You'd think after a few years  
of serving in the Survey Corps together they'd finally stop all the fighting bullshit.

  
 "Thanks. I'll let you know which room I pick."

  
 Anya told him her room was the last one to the right, so he didn't choose that one by mistake. Then she went  
upstairs to get ready for the day. Levi looked out the window to see another beautiful sunrise bringing in the morning.

 

\--

 

 Little Lottie was dragging Sasha, & Connie by the hand down to the fields as everybody trailed behind. With the ball  
for the triplets birthday coming up there was no need for anybody to be in uniform. Everyone dressed in casual clothing,  
the Valkyries always leaving their shoulder blades exposed. Looking up clouds already begun to blanket the sky blocking,  
out any blue & promising rain. Hanji commented on the gloominess of the day. The triplets reassuring her that it won't stop  
the fun & that rain is the best time for a match in their opinion.  
  The field was full of green lush, grass, & white paint marked the boundaries for the players. A group of kids passed  
a ball back & forth  on one side of the circle that bisected the field in half, the other had kids running along the lines  
that marked the goalie box. One group wore blue, the other purple. The purple team was Little Lottie's as she so cheerfully  
announced.

  
 The kids took their positions on the field as the triplets & the scouts took their seats among the raised benches  
full of spectators. Cheers & boos rose & fell as the match went on, fans cheering on their team when someone scored a goal.  
Mikasa was saying how good the kids actually were when someone yelled heads up. A black & white ball flew right to them.  
Argo made a perfect catch before it could leave grass covered kisses on Armin's face. The whistle blowing signaled the  
end of the game with Lottie being hoisted up for scoring the game winning goal.

  
 Argo, Alistair, & Anya took the ball Argo caught & started juggling it between themselves while Lottie ran over, asking  
if they saw her score.

  
 "Why don't you guys have a match?" She asked looking between the scouts & triplets.

  
 "Oh, that sounds like fun! & with eleven of us there's five to a team. Levi will sit out, he might get dirty & we can't  
have that." Hanji declared herself team captain taking Alistair, Mikasa, Armin, & Jean for her team.  
 Anya, Argo, Eren, Sasha, & Connie took their spots on the opposite side. Little Lottie sat next to Levi on the benches.

  
The game started off slow as the scouts got a handle on how things worked. Once they seem to fully understand, meaning try  
to get the ball in the other teams goal & don't use your hands unless you're the goalie, Argo & Anya starting to really play.  
 Mikasa charged Argo, going to the ball when he dropped it back to Anya for her to run it pass on her way to the goal  
guarded by Jean.  Jean jumped high trying to catch the ball before it sailed right into the net, marking another point for,  
Anya's team. They were all laughing, & trash talking with one another.

 

Argo & Anya asking Alistair if he had forgotten how to play or if he as just going soft in his old age.

He informed them that they were triplets & that if he was old then so were they.

 

Connie caught the ball after a fail attempt to score by Hanji, he ran out to the edge of the goalie line & threw  
the ball as hard as he could out into the field, not paying attention in his excitement. The ball finally got to kiss Armin.  
 Everyone surrounded him asking him if he was okay as a pentagon shape bruise started to form on his cheek.  
Connie was right next to him frantically apologizing for throwing the ball too hard. Armin protested saying he was fine &  
could still play. That was until he tried to stand up only to have the world start spinning on him. Argo said he should  
sit down until the light headedness passed & that it looked to be the end of the game.

  
 "I'll take Armin's place." Levi volunteered.

  
 "Thanks Captain, I'll be fine after I sit for a bit." Armin took the ice pack Little Lottie had ran off to grab as  
soon as she saw the ball hit him.

  
  "All right Levi, now there's no way we can lose with two Ackermans!" Hanji cheered running back to her spot as  
defense while Levi mirrored Anya taking center field.

  
 "Two Ackermans, does this mean Anya & I don't have to hold back anymore!" Argo was getting back to the trash talking.

  
 "Bring it on!" Jean shouted back from the goalie box. Over head the sounds of thunder rolled in darkening the sky.  
Anya, dropped the ball back to Eren running pass Levi to block her brother from getting the ball. Eren passed it back to her  
to pass it to Argo who had already left an opening for his sister to take the ball farther up the field for another goal.

  
Jean grabbed the ball before she could get to it forcing her to back run as he instantly threw it to Mikasa.  
 She in turned passed it Levi, who stopped & looked to the sky. A rain drop has landed on him & the triplets threw  
their hands up in the air, as the sky opened up. The rain was heavy, & cool pouring strait down mudding up the field.  
Everyone was soaked in a matter of seconds, shirts becoming a second skin to muscled bodies.

  
 With Levi still looking at the sky Anya took advantage stealing the ball from him & running up field with Mikasa  
running towards her. Anya slowed to a jog letting Mikasa get closer to her. Once she saw Mikasa's foot go for the ball  
Anya spun on top of the ball helicoptering around Mikasa, & passed the ball to Argo, as she blocked Mikasa, following her  
every way she went. Argo took the ball a little closer to the goal. He passed Hanji, & Anya made a break for it, sprinting  
away from Mikasa getting the ball just in time to keep it from going out of bounds. Argo & Anya passed the ball back & forth  
keeping it away from Hanji & Mikasa. Eren was wide open waiting for the ball when Argo finally passed it back to him.

  
 "Wow, they really were holding back." Armin watched in amazement from the sidelines.

  
 Little Lottie giggling beside him "Watching matches with my Aunt, Uncle & daddy playing are always the most fun to  
watch. They're soooo good it's impossible not to keep your eyes on them."

  
 Eren ran for the ball, kicking up mud, only to have Levi beat him to it.

  
 "Run faster next time, brat." With Argo & Anya on the other side of the field, Levi had a clear run to the goal.

  
Connie was the only one between him & the net. Levi dribble the ball, Connie jumping on his toes trying to gauge where his  
Captain would aim. _Swish_. The ball made contact with the net. Hanji's team cheered with the score being tied up.  
 After Connie untangled the ball from the net, her threw the ball to Argo with Levi right behind him. Argo scissor  
his feet over the ball, one foot crossing the other before his faked his way left using the outside of his foot to move the  
ball right, shooting pass Levi.  

  
 "Try again next time, shorty!" Argo's cocky smile quickly vanished when he saw Levi come right up to him snatching  
the ball. Hanji yelled for Levi to pass the ball to her, jumping up  & down, waving her arms in the air, like he couldn't  
hear her. Levi nodded to her getting ready to pass the ball off, when Anya slide tackle into him. The two of them rolling  
 in the mud while Eren took the ball scoring against Jean. Game point.

  
 Argo, Eren & Connie, cheered winning the match. Anya joined them picking herself up, mud covered both her & Levi.  
 The rain started to come down harder on them & they all agree it was time to head inside. Alistair & Little Lottie  
headed off to the orphanage with the other kids, Levi & Anya to her tea shop & the other's to the castle with Argo. He has  
a flare for fashion & wanted to get their measurements so he can sew something together for them for the ball so they didn't  
have to wear their uniforms.

  
 Levi limped into the tea shop, sitting down before he completely fell over. Anya knelt down & instantly started  
probing his leg before he could protest.  

  
 "You injured it a while back didn't you." Her hands glided down to his ankle, finding the source of the pain.

  
 "Yeah, it must have gotten tweaked when you tripped me into the damn mud." Levi gritted through his teeth.  
Anya was pulling herbs off the shelf & putting pots on the stove. "That was a slide tackle, & they're perfectly legal as  
long as you make contact with the ball, which I did by the way."

  
 "Yeah, & now I'm cover in mud!"

  
 "Head up stairs & shower then, this will be done by the time you're out."

  
 Levi did his best not the limp up the stairs, the pain in his left leg shooting up with every step. His room was  
the first on the left across from Anya's room. It was spacious, with a bed embedded into a bay window a chaise lounge off  
to one wall & a table with four chairs in the middle of the room. The bathroom just off to the side. Levi locked the  
bathroom door before stepping under the hot spray of water, the mud & grime washing down the drain. Three minutes later  
he was wrapping a towel around his waist & walked into his room to get dress. He didn't bother to dry his hair as he just  
wanted to sit down with the throbbing in his leg growing stronger.  He called out when he heard a knocking at his door.  
Anya walked in with a jar of white cream in her hand & kneeled down again moving the towel away from his leg.

  
 "Hey, that the fuck do you think you're doing!?" He grabbed the towel keeping it from exposing more.

  
 Anya held up the jar. "This will help the pain. Its an old injury so there's really nothing Argo can do for it now.  
Plus it seems like you have arthritis in your ankle. It flares up when it's raining, or cold out, doesn't it."  
 Levi didn't answer, just nod.

  
 "Will you let me apply this then?" She shook the jar.  
 Again he just nodded, & watched her rub the cream between her hands. She stopped just before placing her hands  
on his leg. "This might burn a bit." She began to rub the cream into his leg, starting at his ankle.

  
 The heat from the cream was instantly working its way past his skin & into the muscle going deeper into the bone.  
The pain stepping aside as he let Anya massage the tendons in his Achilles. The warmth from her hands glided up his calf  
rubbing more of the cream into the tight muscle, her thumbs hitting the sore spots & working out the knots he didn't even  
know he had. The last person to treat his leg like this was Erwin. He remembered his rough calloused hands trailing up his  
leg to grab his ass as his lips met his own. Erwin's blonde hair falling from his head as Levi messed it up with his fingers  
threading through it causing it to tickle the sides of Levi's face. Levi could swear he could feel his hair on his thighs.  
The sensation causing a rising heat & tingle between his legs.

  
 Anya's chuckle caused him to looked down, to see a bugle rising from underneath his towel. He quickly moved his  
hands to cover himself & noticed a lock of Anya's curls had come loose from her braid. It was _her_ hair that was tickling  
his thighs.

  
 She eyed his hand covering his growing member, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.  
 "Been a while for ya, huh?"

  
 Levi cleared his throat. "You could say that."

  
Anya wiped her hands using the edge of his towel. "Well I'm done here so I'll let you take care of yourself." She looked  
down at her own mud covered clothes. "Its my turn for a hot shower anyways."

  
 Anger flared in Levi's voice. "Take care of myself? What the fuck?"

  
 Anya was already heading out the door, when she looked back. "You weren't expecting me to do it for you, were  
you?" The edge of her mouth lifted into a smirk causing Levi to become angrier at the tease.

  
 "Don't flatter yourself with dirty thoughts _princess_." He spat the last word like he was a spitting cobra spurring  
venom at it's prey.

  
 "Like you have any idea of what thoughts run through my mind." Anya quickly moved her eye up  & down the muscles of  
his torso. They were still slightly wet from the drippings of his hair. She closed the door leaving Levi alone.

  
He looked down at his erection. He was pissed at himself. Pissed that he let his thoughts wonder to those private times  
with Erwin. Pissed that he let his emotions get away from him. Pissed that his cock decided to make an appearance without  
him realizing it. "What the fuck do you want!?" He cursed at the fully grown rod peeking out from under his towel.

 

\--

 

 

  The ball room was filled with nobles all chatting away about how everyone looked so festive in their jewels, gowns

& suites. The woman all had their backs exposed with elegant cut outs or low designs from their dresses, the men had slits  
in the back of their suit jackets to allow them to bring their wings out if needed.

  
 The scouts mingled amongst themselves complimenting the work Argo did on their dresses & suites. A glass of wine  
in each of their hands. Levi & hanji had argued about whether or not they should allow the brats to drink, Hanji won  
stating that it was a celebration, & that almost everyone was of legal drinking age.  
 "Fine, but I'm not babysitting anyone when they start to vomit." Was his final remark on the topic.

  
The crowd didn't seem to bother them, the kids being more excited about everything going on since they've never been to  
anything like this before. Levi was dragged to more than his fair share of these things to accompany Erwin, now he was  
being dragged to them by Hanji.

 

 They were all the same. Nobels showing off their riches, & talking about shit they don't know about, everyone trying  
to out shine everyone else. It was a never ending cycle of ass kissing merchant pigs swallowing in their own mud pit of  
self pity. It didn't matter where in the world you were, it was always the same. Levi had learned that the best way to  
go through these was to stick to the walls, always have a drink in your hand, talk only when spoken too & maybe dance with  
a woman or two for appearance only.

  
 Hanji pulled on his cravat calling his attention to the Harold announcing the royal family. The entire room turned  
to face the opening of the wooden double doors.

  
 Bergot was the first to be announced as he was the Arch Duke. His robes, & jewels only slightly more extravagant than  
his usual wear. Argo was next to enter the ball room dressed in a simple black tux, a sash the same colour blue as his  
military uniform crossed his torso from shoulder to waist, a bronze crown with blue stones sat on his head. Back strait,  
head held high, & arms behind his back we gallantly walked to his throne.  
 Alistair a mirror image of his brother but for the beard & Little Lottie on his arm dressed in white. They too  
walked to their designates thrones, Little Lottie almost skipping with glee down the carpet.  
 Last to enter was the King himself, a gold crown with the same blue stones balanced like a stack of books on his  
head. Anya being escorted on his arm.

  
 "Oh, wow, look at her!"

  
 "She's beautiful!"

  
And more soft murmurs of the same caliber swept from mouth to ear over the ball room.  
 Eren teased Jean for making a comment about her hair.

  
 Instead of the braid they had all become accustomed too, soft brunette curls cascaded over her bare shoulders, & down  
her back, meeting the knot of the blue sash that covered the scar on her breast at her waist. The colour of her hair  
contrasting with the rich, deep purple of her dress, the hem stopping just below her knees. Her tiara a sliver band with  
three stones decorating the front, an amethyst in the center & two of those blue topaz stones, one on each side. The click  
clacking of her heels stopping at the base of her throne, where the royal family all took their seats together. Her grey  
eyes, rimmed in the same purple as her dress stared strait ahead with the roaring of the Valkyries celebrating the triplets  
birth.  
 Looking at the three siblings sit on glorified chairs of power, it was hard to imagine that the care-free, crude,  
incest/sex joke making, playing in the mud soldiers were the same smiling statues of the Princes & Princess of Incitatio.  
   
 As the night waned on the triplets each played their part, smiling & laughing at the appropriate times, letting  
anyone who thought they were important enough, which was everyone, bend their ear about taxes, shipping goods, whether the  
triplet's plans to build a school really cost worthy, all the most boring & mundane worrisome of the upper class not  
wanting to give up a silver of their luxurious lives.

  
 These things were always the same, fake smiles etched onto their face to the point their cheeks burns, & they were  
ready to punch the next lubricated, noble staggering up to them, forcing them to continue the tight-line balancing act like  
side show freaks.

  
 Making their way across the ball room floor the triplets finally reach their thrones to rest for a bit. A collective  
sigh & wary looks at one another earned the clock hateful stares as the minutes tick by too slowly towards the end of the  
ball. A ringing from a spoon being tapped against a crystal glass brought the head of everyone to look at the Arch Duke.  
 He cleared his throat, his weasel eyes shinning bright with thin lips spreading across his face in a smile.

  
 "In celebration of our guests of honor." He moved his hand guiding everyone's eyes to the scouts that sat at  
the table below the royal family. "Who we have the pleasure of meeting from lands unknown. I have arranged a treat for them."  
His beady little eyes drifted to Anya. "As some of you may know my niece, Princess Anya Licentia-Pennas, is quite the  
accomplished ballerina."

  
 Anya's heart jumped into her throat & lodged there. Being stuck at this ball they didn't want in the first place  
wasn't enough, now she had to perform! She's always had a passion for dancing, but doing it for her own enjoyment, &  
performing in front of others were two different things.

  
 "How would you all like a performance by her?"

  
 The room echoed with the clapping & cheers of encouragement.

  
 Anya began to protest. "I'm afraid I've forgotten my ballet-"Her uncle held up a pair of brand new black ballet  
 slippers " flats..." She slipped off her heels & tied the silk ribbon around her ankles, at least they weren't pink.

  
   She looked at her niece, Little Lottie was giddy with glee at the prospect of see her aunt dance. Anya faced the  
audience, "I will perform, but only if my lovely, talented niece Charlotte plays the piano for me."

  
 Charlotte jumped out of her seat, grabbing her aunts hand & rushed to the piano, that was being rolled to the  
dance floor.  
 "Of course I'll play for you, Aunty Anya." She sat on the piano bench, stretching her fingers. "I'll play your  
favourite song, you always dance so beautifully to it!"

  
 "That sounds lovely, Little Wings."

  
 Anya walked out to the middle of the floor, taking deep breathes, all eye were on her.  
 She waited for Little Lottie's fingers to dance over the keys as the first few notes of _'Once Upon a December'_  
whispered through the air. Slowly Anya's feet begun to move in sync with the music. The lyrics singing in her head.  
   
_"Dancing bears, Painted wings_  
_things I almost remember_  
_and a song, someone sings._  
_Once upon a December."_

 

 As Anya's feet carried her through the twists & turns of the dance, everything melt around her. There was no more

people staring, no more ball room, no more anything, just her, Little Lottie, & the music rising & falling with the crescendos  
& fermatas.

 

  _"Someone holds me safe and warm,_  
_Horses prance through a sliver storm,_  
_Figures dancing gracefully_  
_across my memory..."_  
   
 Her legs burned through the jumps,  & spins, her toes lifting her high, her arms flowing in arches with the hem  
of her dress. Little Lottie's fingers danced in time with Anya's feet, the notes flying through the air resonated off the  
walls.

 

_"Far away long ago,_  
_glowing dim as an ember_  
_things my heart used to know_  
_things it yearns_  
_to remember..."_

 

 No on dare move, or speak, or even breathe too loudly hearing the song come on an end & seeing Anya's movements  
slow down. Her spins accenting the final notes.

 

_"And a song_  
_someone sings"_

 

 Her final spins taking her across the floor to the feet of the scouts & the thrones.  
   
  _"Once.. upon a.. Dec..em..ber.."_  
   
 She turned into a curtsy, slowly lowing her weight to the floor with the last of the notes vibrating drifted  
off the tips of Little Lottie's fingers.

  
 The applause, brought Anya back to reality, her niece running to her for a hug, for a performance well done.  
 Her father, brothers  & uncle stepped down from their seats to greet the two of them.

  
 "Beautifully done." The king's voice boomed over the heads of the still clapping nobles.

  
 "Good job sis." Her brothers whispered in her ears knowing she was still running from the rush that comes from  
performing in front of an audience & still annoyed at her uncle for putting her in the spotlight.

  
 Hanji was right behind them, pouncing in her for a hug.

  
 "That. Was. So. Beautiful! Anya, you were wonderful out there!" She turned & bend down to Little Lottie, swooping  
the girl into a hug as well. "And you! You played like you've been playing for a hundred years it was so amazing!"

  
 Little Lottie squealed at the shower of compliments the scouts rained on her. Unlike her aunt, she loved to  
perform & play for others.

  
 A man dressed in the same black & white suit as every other man, with blonde hair & brown eyes approached Anya.  
 "Might I say Princess, that was the most splendid display of dance I have ever seen. If I'm not being too forward,  
may I ask for your hand for a dance?" He bowed holding his hand palm up for hers. "Your Highness."

  
 "Actually I-"

  
 "She would love too." Bergot had crept up behind her, placing her hand into the palm of the stranger.

  
 "Excellent." The man gripped her hand a bit too hard pulling her back to the floor she has just left. It was  
excepted of her to dance with some of the men after all, she might as well get it over with.

  
 The orchestra started playing the same boring old songs they always play at these things. The dance floor  
become crowded with couples spinning in time with the waltz. The man holding Anya too close for comfort did nothing but  
talk the entire time, going on & on about his family lineage.

  
 When the song ended he bowed & she curtsied excusing herself to head back to her throne only to have another man  
take her hand & begin dancing to the next boring song.  
 Alistair & Argo made their way to the scouts.

  
 "Hey any of you guys know how to dance?"

Hanji jumped up grabbing Alistair's hand & spun on to the floor with him mingling about with the other couples.  
 Argo chuckled at his brother's puzzled face, but went along with Hanji anyways.

  
 "That wasn't why he was asking, but at least Anya's not the only one out there now." He turned back to the scouts.  
 "Do any of you know how to dance so you can save my sister from getting stuck with other noble prima donna? That's  
the eighth guy that's stopped her from resting, it's been almost two hours since she did her dance & she wasn't had a chance  
to stop since."

  
 Eren, Armin, & Connie shook their heads. They've only danced with their mothers & never very well, dancing in front  
of people, especially with a princess, would be humiliating. Jean stood up, straitening his jacket.

  
 "Well it looks like it's time for this handsome hero to save the beautiful princess like those stories Armin's  
always reading." He turned back to wink & smile at Mikasa & Sasha, the two of them rolling their eyes with the boys.  
 A hand clasped Jean's shoulder pushing him back down into his seat.

  
 "Sit down, brat. I've seen you dance with a mop once when you should've been cleaning. Thankfully your cleaning  
ability made up for your shitty dancing." Levi made is way through the crowd leaving the kids with Argo laughing at Jean's  
expense. Anya was being spun in the center of the floor by a man that looked to be the same age as her father. He tapped  
the man's shoulder asking if he could cut in. The man bowed placing Anya's hand into Levi's outstretched palm.  
 Wrapping his other hand around her waist he started to lead them across the floor, using the dance as a way to  
work their way through the many people giggling, & talking as they danced hand in hand.

  
 "One of my brothers send you to rescue me?"

  
 "Yeah. Jean was going to do it, but he can't dance worth shit."

  
 "Well thank you." She laughed. "You look rather dashing tonight."

  
 She eyed his black suit with a white button down & cravat under his jacket.  
 Levi laughed through his nose at the compliment. He never did know how to take them. "And you look like a beautiful  
nightmare twirling around like one of those figurines in a music box."

  
 "I'll take that as a compliment." She let him  guide them past men holding up their too drunk dates, & lovers  
trying to sneak away to do what lovers do best.

  
 "It was meant to be one."

  
 Hanji spotted them & let go of Alistair's shoulder to wave at them. They both nodded in their direction.  
 "I feel sorry for your brother, he asked is anyone could dance with you & shitty glasses got the wrong idea."

  
 "Eh I think Al's enjoying himself."

  
 They got caught in a group of couples that refused to part forcing them to dance through another song. Anya's feet  
were aching. Ballet slippers were meant for ballet, not dancing around flat footed. She tried to stay on the balls of her  
feet but the blocks in her slipper made it impossible & staying on her toes was impractical.

  
 Levi noticed her discomfort as she tended to bounce between her feet. Seeing an opening through the crowd he spun  
them towards it. It was a strait line to the scouts table. Argo was already at the edge of the dance floor ready to  
intercept any guy that try to take Anya's hand for another dance. He passed Anya off to her brother as their father came to  
greet them.

  
 "Alright now that's enough torture for you all. Thank you for putting up with this for me, you can go." The King  
looked at the scouts & laughed. "It looks like they've might have had a bit too much wine then they could handle."

  
 Levi looked at the bunch, pink cheek & swaying in their seats. "Serves them right, I told them not to drink too  
much. They're going to feel it in the morning."

  
 "Anya makes a mean tea that can cure the nastiest of hangovers." Argo patted her back. "Came in handy during our  
wild days." He laughed, his father joining him & agreeing.

  
 "I'll have a batch ready for them in the morning, but first let's get the bloody hell out of here before another  
bloat thinks I'm his fuc-" She remembered she had to curve her language in such delicate settings. "Thinks I'm his  
property. Plus I want out of this dress."

  
 "But you look so pretty in it!" Armin exclaimed leaning on Eren who was also slurring in his speech. Mikasa seemed  
to be the only one sober as she kept their heads from crashing onto the table. Hanji came trotting over with Alistair  
in hand.

  
 "Hey, four-eyes help Mikasa & I get the drunk brats to bed."

  
 They each threw the arms of the too drunk to stand on their own & use the door that lead into the kitchen to exit  
the ball room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, I hope you all enjoy the little Eruri moment I snuck in there. Commander Handsome may be gone but he still lives in the memories of Levi! Also, the song "Once Upon a December" is from the motion picture Anastasia. It's one of my favourites & the idea of Anya being a ballerina came to mind when it played on my Pandora. The book The Princess bride that Levi is reading is from the 1973 but the poison scene is another one of my favourites and seemed so fitting to use it for Anya.


	6. Your Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brats have a little fun showing off their Captain's strength while they recover from their hangovers & Levi finds something interesting when snooping around Anya's bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies, I'm so sorry for taking for damn long to update. There were some family emergencies & I went through a break up so I didn't have the time or energy to write, but now I'm back on track, & made this chapter extra long for you guys to enjoy! 
> 
> Also this chapter is dedicated to the amaze-ballz @theredstarassassian on Tumblr for encouraging me to continue writing this fic!

Levi knocked on Anya's door. "Anya." The sun had risen hours ago. When he didn't hear her down stairs preparing the  
shop for the day. The sounds of cabinet doors, opening & shutting, pots & pans clicking against the stove & the scents of  
day that had become apart of his morning routine before going down for tea. He decided to wake her. She didn't seem drunk  
like the others, but who knows maybe her feet were still hurting her from all the dancing she did at the ball last night.

 When he didn't hear an answer he knocked on her door using more force. Still no answer. "Hey! Princess, do I have to  
kick you out of bed?" He open the door after banging his fist upon the wood. "You gonna sleep all day or wh-."  
The room was empty. The only living bodies in it were Levi & her pet dragon Xander who was sound asleep on her unmade bed with his  
claws up in the air, snoring.

 

 Her room was designed exactly like his. Spacious, with a bathroom set off to one side of the  
room & a bay window bed set into the wall. Only instead of a chaise against the wall, hers were covered with photos that  
looked like the one they found in Grisha's books. Shelves filled with books crowded one corner extending from floor to  
ceiling. In the opposite corner next to her bed sat a large desk titled upwards, papers & pencils were scattered across it's  
surface.  By her bed hanged two green tapestries with golden tangled knots in their centers. One on each side framing the  
woodwork of more tangled knots carved into the bottom panel of her bed. A well worn pair of black ballet slippers hanged  
above her dresser next to a large picture of her dancing.

  The portrait was bisected into two photos, one side had her dressed  
in white from head to toe. Her pose had her on her toes, define leg muscles could be see through the tights she wore. Her  
arms were relaxed, her right held above her head, her left down behind her arched back. With eyes lids shut and her bottom  
lip slightly slack her expression created an air of innocence & sorrow to match the feminine grace her body's posture  
emitted. The other side did nothing to mirror the first half. Her costume was black with a tattered skirt instead of the  
white high-waist tutu, the bodice accented her bust, revealing more cleavage & her scar while the white one covered more.  
 She was looking directly at him as she about to turn into a spin. Black dramatic make-up rimmed her gray eyes,  
full of lust, control, confidence.  The complete opposite of the photo sharing the same page.  
   
 "Not bad." he muttered. All together her room reminded him of Erwin's. Hers wasn't as messy, there were no clothes  
throw about on the floor in an ass-half attempt to throw them in the hamper. There was however books stacked on top of a side  
table, a few papers strewed haphazardly around the titled desks, & of course the unmade bed giving it that "lived in"  
look as Erwin would have called it. The door to the bathroom was shut. "Anya." he called out knocking on the door. Again  
there was no answer. He open the door just enough to hear if the shower was running. Silent. She wasn't anywhere here &  
he knew she wasn't down stairs. He open the door wider, & stepped in. Just like the room it was nearly identical to his.  
 A tub & shower combo, a toilet, & a sink with a mirror above it. The only difference was her bathroom counter had  
a shit ton of women stuff all over it. Hair brushes, combs, perfumes, make-up. He remember getting on to Isabel for leaving  
all her shit like this in the bathroom once. He told her that if she didn't put it away then he was going to throw it away.  
She yelled at him saying he better not dare, that it was expensive & she had a hell of a time snatching it while the shop  
owner wasn't looking. He picked up a clear bottle of perfume, the red liquid in it smelled of the red & pink orchid  
flowers that decorated the outside. It was the same scent she had on at the ball. Judging on the bottle being nearly empty  
he guessed it must be her favourite.

 

 Argo came in through the bay window tucking his wings into his back as he perched on the ledge. "Hey Xander." He bent down  
scratching the gray dragon behind his ear. "Where's your mama?" He asked.  
   
 "Not here." Levi answered coming out of the bathroom. Argo jumped over the bed into the room. "Snooping around then,  
huh, or did you just decided to go on a panty raid?" He joked.

 

"I was looking for her." Levi scoffed."Think she mountain climbing?"

 

Argo looked around the room pointing at a pair of shoes. "Not if those are here. She's not in the castle either .So that means she was summoned. Hope she made the tea for your team, that's what I came here for."

 

 Levi leaned against one of the bookshelves crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you mean she was summoned."

  
Argo picked Xander up & began rubbing his belly. Cat-like purrs coming from his throat. "Arcainic work. She's either in  
Valhalla escorting another soul, or in hell training future Arcainics." He placed Xander back on the bed & sighed.  
"There's no telling when she'll be back."  
   
 Levi clicked his tongue & nodded towards the photos of her dancing. "Looks like she enjoyed performing more than she  
let on last night."  
   
 "Yeah, she did. When she was getting paid to be on stage." Argo stayed standing by her bed mimicking Levi. Arms  
crossed over his chest, leaning against a wall. "She was a Prima Ballerina. One of the best in Europe. That poster was made  
to advertise her playing both roles in the production of 'Swan Lake', the white swan & the black swan."

  
 "I thought you guys said you're from a place called Ireland."

  
Argo chuckled irritating Levi. "Man, we got to get you guys a map, or better yet a globe. Sis wasn't kidding when she said,  
you guys were isolated. Ireland is in Europe."

  
Levi walked over to the tilted desk ready to change the topic, he would have to ask Anya when she  
got back about how she knew about Paradis.  
   
 A sketch laid among the pencils & balled up sheets on the table. It was just an outlining, but it was obvious that  
the building being drawn was going to have at least two stories, with plenty of windows.  Crisp, sharp lines brought the  
large structure off the page. In the upper left hand corner cursive curls wrote 'school house draft'. The letters were  
quickly written with loopy-loos smudging together inside a neatly drawn box. Levi recalled the triplets talking to noblemen  
about the cost to build one. The fat pigs arguing with them because they didn't want to lose any part of their opulent  
life styles just like the ones back home that Erwin tried to convince to donate money to the Survey Corps.  
 It seemed everything was reminding him of Erwin lately. Ever since he let his mind wander when he let Anya treat  
his leg. He shook his head trying to shake the thoughts away before turning to the tapestries.

 

 "So what's with the tangles here?"

  
Argo got up from his spot against the wall coming to stand a little too close for comfort for Levi. "They're not tangles,  
they're Celtic Knots."

 

Levi took note of the defensive tone in Argo's voice. "That's supposed to mean something for you."

  
Argo stepped away pointing to the one closest to the tilted desk. Four loops connected in a never-ending line. Each loop,  
opposing one another like a compass's star pointing in each direction. "This one that looks almost like a cross means  
'Courage'. Each knot has a meaning, & depending on the family can be specific to them. Like this one." Argo walked to the  
other side of the bed to the knot that looked like three triangle caught within a circle. "The one means family. See,  
the triangles?" The question was rhetorical but Levi nodded in response anyways.

  
"They represent Al, Anya, & my self. The circle connecting them means two things to us. The first representing us being triplets, the second being that no matter what we're always together." Argo's voice grew softer, the defensive tone from before leaving. "Have been since before we were even born. We each not only have the symbol tattoo on our ribcage, but we also have it on our weapons." He open his palm letting the wraith-like shadows the scouts were starting to grow use too bring forth a six-foot steel-barbed whip.  
The knot from the tapestries matching the one engraved into the whip's handle.

 

 Levi knew it must have taken a great deal of work to created the weapon, he couldn't but admire the craftsmanship.  
He held out his silently asking Argo if he could examine it himself. Without hesitating he placed the leather grip in Levi's  
hand, a smile of pride smashed under his beard. The whip was heavy enough to know you had it in your hand & light enough to  
wield it with ease, the steel-barbs were shaped like Xander's claws. When Levi ran his thumb over one of the barb's edges  
blood instantly pooled to the surface. He licked his thumb preventing any of the deep red fluid from dripping to the floor.  
On the handle's butt was the symbol, the raised engraving cool & smooth to the touch. A single Opal in the center of the  
knot- the birthstone for October. Erwin's birth month. _"but we're in November..."_ he thought. He glanced at the calendar  
that hanged next to the bookshelves, the days ticked off one by one showing the days date as the 5th of November. The scouts  
have only been on the island for a week now, so that means the triplets were born sometime during the last week of October.

  
 Levi didn't voice his thoughts on the stone & brought his attention back to the weapon in his hand. Overall he had  
to admit is was damn impressive. Beautiful & deadly- whoever become ensnared in it's claws would surly be seriously harmed,  
or killed. He handed it back to Argo, "It took a skilled blacksmith to make that. Anyone would be proud to have it." Levi  
may not hand out compliments like candy, but he knew when to give credit when it was due.

 

 Argo beamed as he took his whip, "I'll be sure to tell, Anya. She'll be thrilled to know." He let the weapon  
vanished, the shadows whisking it away.

  
 "Why?"

  
Argo looked at Levi as if he didn't understand the question. "She's the one that forged it. That's how I can use her wraith  
to summon it." He continue to explain without giving Levi a chance to ask anything. " Arcainics forge their own weapons  
when their soul has finished training. Well at least that's how she explained it to us. When Al, & I first saw her twin  
swords, we asked if she could make ours. Little did we know Arcainics are not supposed to craft weapons for anyone else.  
She did it knowing she would get into so much shit. We didn't see her for almost a month after she made them."

 

 "Where the hell was she?" Levi figured he might was well get as much information he can while Argo was in a talkative  
mood.

 

Argo laughed through his nose shaking his head as he scratched Xander's head more. "No clue, & she wouldn't tell us.  
Although Hell is where we suspected she was." He sighed, his face growing long at a bothersome thought. "It's a shame she  
won't be around to rule along side Al & I once we ascend to the throne."

  
 Levi froze, staring at the man in front of him. "Why wouldn't she be around to take her place as queen?" He kept  
his voice steady, not allowing the shock he felt at the news reflect in his question. Argo let another sigh fly.

  
 "Arcainics don't live for long. They tend to go insane. The suicide rate among them is ridiculously high- we'll be  
lucky to have another 40 years with her, it all depends on her state of mind."

 

 Levi knew the feeling of knowing you could lose someone you loved & cared about all too well. Everyone in the  
Survey Corps did. It was an occupational hazard. Going outside the walls & encountering titans, you never knew which day  
would be your last. You never knew whose life would be lost in the mouth of a titan. He sympathized with the brothers, he  
knew it wouldn't be easy for them to lose their sister, but it seems that they had already accepted the fact that despite  
their efforts to help her, they eventually will.

 "We should see if we can find the tea for the brats." Levi moved away from the painful subject pulling Argo out  
from his thoughts. "Although I have half a mind to let the little shits suffer the hangover for drinking too much."

  
 Argo nodded letting Xander outside the window. The little gray dragon taking flight to chase some birds that had  
gone by.  The two of them headed down stairs in search for something to help Eren, Armin, Jean, Connie, & Sasha with the  
pounding in their heads & dry heaving they were sure to be having. Levi had would just have to find another time to snoop  
around for more answers to the questions in his head.

 

\--

 

 The sounds of dying animals echoed in the scouts heads as they moaned & groaned waking up that morning. Mikasa being  
the only one, besides Hanji & Levi, not hungover went about giving her friends the tea that Levi & the Valkyrie Argo had  
brought. When the two of them entered the shop's kitchen there was a jar of herbs waiting for them on the table with a note  
written in the same curly cursive as the drawing that read.

 

_"Levi, here's the tea for your drunken shitheads._   
_This should help lessen the amount of vomit to clean & dull the headaches._   
_Ask my brothers how to properly brew it, they've had more than their fair share_   
_of this blend themselves. Let them know I have work, they'll know what I mean._   
_-Anya."_

  
 Argo laughed saying that of course his sister had to mock them for all the times she had to babysit they're  
drunken asses.

  
 Mikasa handed Armin & Eren their cups. "I told you, you were drinking too much." She scolded when they complained  
about their throbbing heads.

  
 "Mikasa, please. Now's not the time for a lecture." Eren gingerly sipped from his cup grimacing at the taste.

  
 "I think now's the perfect time for a lecture." Levi stated before sipping his own black tea. "I told you not to  
drink so damn much. Idiots." He looked at the boys sick faces over the rim of his cup. It was their first hangover, & as  
much as he didn't approve of them having so much wine, he was glad the brats had fun at their first ball. That & he couldn't  
help but have a little fun picking on them. He took another sip hiding the smirk that manage to creep into his face.

 

 "Hey Mikasa, how bout you hand me cup of that cure."

  
 "Yeah, me too." Both Connie & Jean slurred.

  
She obliged handing them a steaming hot cup of the murky brew when Sasha came slumping into the room.

  
 "Ugh. My stomach hurts!" She complained, dramatically crashing onto the bed Connie sat on. Hanji strolled in &  
plopped her ass on the couch next to Argo. "Hey doc, I think you need to check out Sasha for us."

  
 "Why, what wrong."

  
 "I don't even want to think about food right now!" Sasha groaned bringing everyone to stare at her in disbelief.

  
 Hanji snickered fixing herself a cup of the black tea Levi brought for himself & the brother. "That's why."

  
 "Sasha not wanting food. That is alarming." Levi joked. "Guess that means she'll be taking less breaks to shit."

  
Mikasa handed her a cup of tea & waved a roll of bread in of her face. Sasha bit into the roll still in Mikasa's hand,  
took a gulp of tea & then another bite from the roll.

  
 "Nope. She's fine." Mikasa placed the remains of the roll in Sasha's lap. The boys laughter turning into groans  
as they clutched their heads at the sudden pain that spiked from laughing.

 

 Jean commented on the tea's foulness comparing the taste to a tub of water that was just used to wash their  
uniforms after going out on an expedition that's been heated. Everyone drinking the concoction agreed until Argo said that  
it was medicine, & the worst it tasted the better it worked. As long as it did the trick, did it really matter how it tastes  
in the end? They all shushed & finished off their cups hiding their shame & did their damn best not to whine when they saw  
Mikasa bringing over the tea pot to refill their cups.

 

 "Oh come on now, it can't be that bad." Hanji grabbed the cup out of Connie' hand. The scent of willow bark, milk  
thistle, & something spicy made her nose crinkle just a smidge. "It doesn't smell that bad." She tossed her head back gulping  
it in one shot before rushing to the open window to gag. "Nope never mind, it's pretty bad!" Her voice muffled with her head  
hanging out. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her gaze turned to Levi. A wicked grin spreading her lips thin as  
an idea began running the gears in her head. Her brown eyes growing wide & sinister behind her round glasses.

  
 "Oh, Leeevi!" She sang.

  
 Levi looked up from his cup staring her down. She only ever said his name in that irritating pitch when she wanted  
something- usually help catching a titan for "research".

  
 "Whatever it is the answer is no."

 

 "Aw come on, just try it!" She refilled the cup she took from Connie holding it out to him.

 

 "Hell no I'm not trying that. It stinks worst then inside the walls!" He shove her hand away causing some of the  
tea to go splashing to the ground.

  
 "Levi, just a little taste, it's tea you love tea!"

 

 "I like good tea, not watered shit!"

 

 "Isn't she your Commander?" Argo interrupted. "Aren't you supposed to do what she says?"

 

 "He's absolutely right!" Haji gasped bouncing on her toes. "I am your Commander, now try the tea."

 

 "If it doesn't help humanity I'm not fucking doing it, Commander Shitty Glasses. And you." He turned his death  
glare to the man smiling ear to ear sitting on the couch with his arms thrown over the back. "Fuck you, and stop putting  
ideas in Four-eye's head. She gets enough shit ideas & I always end up cleaning up after them."

 

 Argo's belly laughed echoed in the room, causing the brat's head to ping with more pain. "My sister's consider to  
be one of the most fearsome Arcainics & you think your short ass can intimidate me?"

 

 The scouts started hooting & howling on the beds, holding bellies. "That sounded like Captain  
Levi Ackerman of the special operation squad!"  
   
 "Humanities Strongest Soldier!"

 

 "Worth an entire brigade!"

 

 "Has just been challenged!"

 

 Eren, Sasha, Jean, & Connie cheered forgetting the hangover they were griping about a few minutes ago.  
Levi moved his gaze over to the little shits. They stopped laughing, but their grins stayed planted on their faces.  
A smile threated to turn up the corners of his mouth.

 

 "If Anya's that fearsome as you claim I think a match between her & our Levi would be interesting." Hanji moved the  
tray used to bring the tea to the couch & brought the table it had just been on to the center of the room. "But I say an  
arm wrestling match between you guys would be just has good." She looked between Levi & Argo.

 

 The two men looked at each other. A half-cocked smile on Argo's face. "I'm a betting man, makes thing more interesting.  
You lose & you clean my clinic for a week. You up for it?"

 

 Now was the perfect time to bring up the library. "Sure, why not. But when you lose. " Both of them took their spots  
across from each other at the table. Hanji placed her hand on top of their joined hands readying to set them off. The scouts  
crowded around the table finding the spot that would best allow them to see the smack down. Mikasa's face its usual stoic  
expression as she stayed leaning against the bed post. Connie & Sasha climbed onto one of the top bunks. Eren, Armin & Jean  
 watched in anticipation with Hanji around the table. Bright eyed & bushy tail. Tea cups abandon & hangovers long gone.

  
 "We want access to your family library."

 

 "Done." Argo nodded in agreement.

 

 Once Hanji made sure both men had their hands behind their backs, she lifted hers and the struggle to pin the  
other's arm began. The kids cheered for their captain while Hanji cheered on for Argo saying Levi doesn't listen to her  
anyway to justify her choice victor. The muscles in their forearms strained, the cords from tightly wrapped fingers  
protruding through skin. Cries of 'yes!' or 'no!' blanketed the air whenever one of them got the lead on the other, their  
hands swaying right & left either getting closer or farther from the table's top. Argo was defiantly stronger than most  
of the people Levi's armed wrestled both in the Underground & soldiers from all three military branches, actually giving  
him a challenging time to pin the back of the Valkyrie's hand.  
   
 The disappointed cheers grew louder when Argo had Levi's hand just mere inches from the wood's grain.  
"Good thing you like cleaning, because it looks like my clinic is gonna be spotless." Argo was becoming a little too cocky  
again, as he tend to do when he notices he's winning.

  
 "That's what you think." With Argo letting his guard down think he had already won Levi lifted his hand up & pinned  
his the back of his hand with a firm smack against the table with ease causing the scouts to cheer with glee & leave Anya's  
brother with his mouth hanging open in shock. Levi got pats on his back & shoulders accompanied with praise for beating  
the now awe-struck Valkyrie. Hanji threw her arms around him. "I knew you would win all along, short stuff!"

  
 "Get off me four-eyes, you stink!" Levi pushed at her trying to break the vise her arms created.

 

 "I do not, I showered last night!" She retorted still clinging to him as he asked if she showered that morning as  
well. The scouts snickering at the two of them bickering about Hanji's bathing habits yet again. It was always a reoccurring  
topic between the two veterans since before the brats joined the cadet training core. For a moment they had forgotten that  
Argo was in the room- that is until he spoke. His voice drenched in a mixture of awe, disbelief, & amusement.

 

 "You hustled me." His slacked jaw switching to form a grin as he begun chuckling which soon turned into another  
fully on belly laugh. "You actually hustled me. That's never happened to me before." He continued laughing holding his ribs  
as he doubled over. " You're just as good as me & my siblings. You had me thinking I was winning & then you just throw my  
arm over like it was nothing!"

  
 They all stared at the hysterical man with tears in his eyes, slapping a heavy hand into the table's surface.

 

 "That's the Captain for you!" Eren's prideful tone encouraged the other's to chime in.  
   
 "Yeah." Jean added. "I don't think I've ever seem him lose against anyone when it came to arm wrestling... or anything  
else for that matter."

 

 "Nope! Not even when Levi first joined the scouts, he didn't lose to anyone." Confirmed an overly enthusiastic  
Hanji.

 

 Sasha reached for another roll thinking everyone was distracted chatting about Levi never losing at anything. Little  
did she know Argo was staring at the callouses her forearm & fingers she got from years of hunting in her village as a child.  
She jumped hearing his gruff, Irish accent ask her if she was an archer.

  
 "Ummm, y-y-yeah." She stammered. "I've used a bow for hunting since I was a child. My father taught me."

 

 "Anya's the archer in the family. She says we scare all the animals away with the gunfire."

 

 "You guys hunt?!" She spoke around a mouth full of bread earning her a glare from Levi.

 

 "The second week of every month. You should join us. All of you." He extended the invitation. "You can even use  
those flying contraptions of yours. Might come in handy."

 

 The only conditions were whatever prey the scouts bagged they had to use all of it. Meat was to be eaten, bones could  
be used to make weapons or jewelry, the list went on. No part of any animal was to be wasted. So think before taking an  
animal's life, give it's death meaning by using it's corpse giving another life substance. If you saw an adult with spawn  
that weren't old enough to be on their own yet you were to let them be- you were not to make the babies orphaned. Also  
any animals that were not fully grown were to be left unharmed. It didn't matter if they were almost into adulthood, give it  
a chance to get there.  Now this didn't mean a little friendly competition to see who can bag the biggest & most prey  
couldn't happen.

 

 "Just no bears." Argo finished.

 

 "Why'd you shoot down a bear?" Sasha asked confused. Rabbits, deer, & pheasants, were not only easier to hunt, but  
also tasted better in her opinion. Boar meat was the best.

 

 Turned out the twins, including their father were determine to prove Anya wrong about the gunfire scaring away the  
animals by beating her in their game. It was already late afternoon on the third & last day of their hunting trip & Anya  
had just about filled an entire carriage of her catches. The three of them had a grand total of two deer, & a handful of  
rabbits between them. So when they started walking back to camp with their heads hanging in shame & a male grizzly could  
be spotted roaming between the trees, the temptation was too great. At first they bickered over who should take the shot,  
because who ever squeezed the trigger would be declared the winner. In the end the three of them decided they would surround  
the beast & put it down together so they can finally beat Anya for once.

  
 On silent wings they lifted themselves into the trees out of the bear's sight & took aim with their rifles.  
The birds took off at the sound too loud to come from a single barrel going off & before long Anya came to see her father,  
& brothers whooping, hollering, hugging & patting each other on the back for a job well done. The majestic grizzly laying  
dead at their feet with three precise bullet wounds. One in its frontal lobe, the back of its skull too ensure a quick  
death, & one in it's jugular to drain its blood.

  
 All their fun & games ceased when an arrow flew between their heads grazing Alistair's ear. Their heads slowly  
turned to see their pissed off sister/daughter with another arrow aimed & ready to fly at the release of her fingers. Her  
accent growing thicker as she asked them what the fuck they were thinking, in which she answered for them saying that  
they weren't thinking at all before any of them had a chance to speak for themselves. They immediately began explaining  
themselves, their words stumbling as they spoke over one another in a frantic effort to make her understand. In the end  
she sighed & helped them get the dead weight to the cart to take back home. They had meat for well over six months on the  
beast alone. The meat was tough & gammy no matter how it was prepared, but non of them dared to complained about it unless  
they wanted another lecture on how they shouldn't have killed it in the first place.

 

 "Anya was bout ready to murder us." Argo nervously scratched the back of his neck at the memory. "So, yeah, no bears  
unless you have a death wish."

 

 "What'd you do with the bear skin?" Sasha being the most experience with hunting knew the hunter's law of using  
what you kill, & that the hide of any animal could be extremely useful.

 

 "It's a rug in dad's room. He wanted to make a coat for Anya to keep warm in Ireland when we visit during the winter  
months, but she didn't approve of it's death in the first place, so that's the only thing we could think of since it doesn't  
get cold enough here to need a coat."

  
 He picked up the abandoned cups now that the scouts were feeling better from their hangovers placing them on the  
tray, & turned to face Levi. "Now, you beat me fair & square I have a bet to make good on. Follow me."

 

 They all filed out of the room into the hall. Sasha & Argo talked about hunting as the others talked to each other  
asking questions about the hunting trip to come for Argo & Sasha to answer every now & then as they made their way to the  
royal family's library.

 

\--

 

 Its been two days since Anya went to wherever it is Arcainics go giving Levi a chance to snoop around more. Hopefully  
without interruptions. Her manager, Elixia had already closed up the shop by the time Levi had gotten back from the library.  
The house was empty except for Levi. Even the little gray dragon Xander wasn't anywhere to be seen. He still padded  
around Anya's room on soft feet in case anyone happen to show up down stairs.

 

 Unlike the pristine book spines in the library, the ones that sat on her books shelves were worn, & tattered from  
being read so often. Some of them you couldn't make out the title unless you read the inside, Other were being held together  
by threads tethering end to end for dear life. Her own personal collection of fantasy, art, history, & languages. It was no  
where as big as the royal library in the castle whose shelves needed ladders embedded on rails for you to reach the top, or  
had it's own balcony bisecting the room into two stories. Armin & Hanji's eyes nearly popped out of their skulls at the  
sight of so many books. Books that would be consider contraband back inside the walls. Book on topics they've never heard  
of, books thick & thin, soft back, hard back, leather bound & in so many languages Argo spent a great deal of the day  
translating, dragging his brother Al, & his niece Charlotte to help.

  
 Armin & Hanji sat there for hours on end with open books scattered across the largest table, scribbling notes on  
anything & everything they could get their hands on. They had even fallen asleep in there, having been found the next  
morning, slumped over papers, & drooling, or practically falling out of their chair. Only to be woken up for them to eat &  
rush right back to whatever they were doing.

 

 As Levi went through the two book shelves, he had to admit, they weren't big & fancy as the royal library, but it was  
still an impressive private collection. It was a collection he knew Erwin would have enjoyed sitting & reading.

 

 "Looks like you weren't the only one that likes to keep ratty, old books on their last leg, old man."

 

He wasn't searching for anything particular, just anything that could help him understand exactly what it was Arcainics  
do. From what he's been able to gather from the twins or Anya herself, they were- unique. They weren't like other  
Valkyries. In fact majority of the race saw Arcainics has bad luck.  
 They're neither good, nor evil. Their souls were hand pick by God & trained by the Devil. They were neither  
demon or angel, or a combination of the two. No one truly knows except for them. All he knew was that Heaven & Hell exist  
along with a place name Valhalla for the souls of soldiers. He wondered which one Erwin went to, & if one day he'd be able  
to join him once again.

  
 Anya was an enigma herself, as much as she tends to laugh & goof around with her family, there's something lost in  
her eyes. Almost as if she's trying to control or hide something she doesn't want people to see. Whatever it is, it's causing  
her pain. Levi wasn't sure if the others notice it, but he did. She'll be smiling & for a split second her face would fall  
flat & go back to the smile as if it remembered what it was supposed to be doing.

  
 So far the only new things he's been able to discover, other than she enjoy reading & ballet was that she crochets.  
He found a hook, & some teal colored yarn that looked to be taking the shape of a sweater hidden in a compartment under  
her bed. The sketches she draws are blueprints for buildings the triplets have or plan to build. Argo's clinic, Alistair's  
orphanage, & Anya's shop being the newest edition to the island of Incentiao. The Valkyries don't have any form of a formal  
education system, Alistair teaches the children what he can, but it only consist of reading, writing & some basic life shit.  
The triplets have plans to change all that- once they get the funding that is.

 

 Instead of letting the status of Royalty go to their heads & sit on their asses day in & out, the triplets saw it  
as an opportunity to improve the Valkyrie's way of living. Especially when they realize they have a strong influence on  
their father. Growing up on the streets themselves they wanted to give the next generation the guidance they didn't have.

 A characteristic the Scouts greatly admired since Historia was doing the same thing back home.

 

Levi was ready to call it quits, he wasn't finding anything helpful about the woman today. However, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he was missing something. He retraced his steps combing though the room again, when he noticed a notch under the corner where the two book shelves meet. It was nearly invisible but he could feel the slight raise where the wood of the floorboards break at the seam. He lifted the board up to reveal a black velvet lined compartment housing three glass vials encased with elegant gold swirls, like fingers gently protecting the thick, red, liquid inside.

  
 He shook one of the vials watching the glass become coated in thin layers of red. Now this was interesting- what  
would Anya be doing with vials of blood, & more importantly, why?

 

 As if on cue a loud thud from the balcony had him craning his head towards the window. Anya was back. He quickly  
stashed the vial & placed the board back, careful to leave it how he found it. He knew he didn't have time to exit the room  
the closet being his only option to hide. He ducked inside just as Anya opened her window. Levi should have put his back  
against the closet wall using the clothing as cover, but his curiosity was too great & he couldn't resist peeking through  
the slit the ajar door provided. Anya had jumped over her bed into her room, but struggled standing up. Dirt covered her  
from head to toe, layers of it caked her skin, hair & camouflaged her purple corset with her pants. A bruise in the shape of  
a hand had formed on her shoulder as if she had been gripped too hard. Her breath was ragged & forced. She went to release  
the metal clasps of her corset when she stopped & looked at her right hand. Two of her fingers were broken. Without a  
second thought she snapped the digits back in place, the sound of cracking bones made Levi grit his own teeth. Mending  
broken bones was painful whether you did it yourself out in the field, or had a doctor doing it for you. Anya was biting  
her lip to suppress a moan as she flexed her fingers, clenching & unclenching them into her fist. Once she was satisfied  
she went back to unfastening her corset inhaling a sharp breathe as she let it dropped to the floor. More bruising colored  
her skin along her ribs which were most likely broken as well. Her wincing as she probed her ribs confirming Levi's  
suspicions. Next she stripped off her heeled boots & pants, more of the purple-blue marks stained her thighs, & calves. She  
must have been in one hell of a fight.

 

 Levi stayed silent watching Anya move around her room from his crouched position in the her closet. Her body was  
that of a soldier's. Taught muscle pulled & relax under sun kissed & bruise painted skin, her curves giving her body a  
fleshy appearance. Without her corset her breast weren't as perky as they hanged heavily on her chest bouncing a little with  
every step, the thin band she wore doing nothing to provide support. The crescent moon birth mark could be seen peeking  
through the black lace of her panties. She was short of torso, but had long legs. Over all there was only one word Levi  
could think of to describe her- voluptuous.

  
 Her face crunched into a wince when she raised her arms to release her hair from it's braided crown. Quick, nimble  
fingers untangled the dirt caked strands with ease as they fell one by one to her waist. She stretched her muscles out,  
standing on her toes, pulling her arms across her chest & over her head, twisting & arching her back as she made her way  
over to the book shelves where she sat in her heels to pull back the board Levi had just discovered minutes ago.

 

 Levi leaned into the door frame of the closet balancing himself on the balls of his feet. His eyes trained on Anya's  
hand pulling out one of the blood filled vials. She pop the crystal stopper off not bothering to stand as she brought the  
gold spike to her lips & tossed her head back. Anya had just taken a heady swig like she was taking a shot of brandy.

  
 Levi hadn't felt this anxious since Hanji & Connie had told him, Erwin, & Pixis their theory about Titans being humans.

He had seen abnormal things all his life living in the underground, & even more once he joined the scouts. He had seen  
countless soldiers die right in front of him, including Erwin, & even his own mother as he sat on the cold, dirt ground of  
the brothel his mother sold her body at as a child. He thought he has seen all the abnormal shit the world had to offer when  
he saw Armin & Mikasa pull Eren out of the nape of a Titan for the first time. He should have known that the unknown world  
ahead would prove him wrong.

 

 Anya stood after replacing the vial back into its hiding place, her head snapping to the crochet set. Levi mentally  
cussing his dumbass for making a rookie mistake. The corner of her lips turned up into a half smile. "I was wondering when  
you were gonna come snooping around in here, Levi." She was speaking to herself. To his relief she hadn't noticed his presence  
lurking among her skirts, & dresses. In his favor she didn't stick around to investigate, her plump ass disappearing behind  
her bathroom door giving Levi his chance to get the hell out.

 

 Anya went strait into her shower not bothering to adjust the temperature of the scolding hot water spraying over  
her skin. She watched as dirt & dried blood slid from her body to the vortex of the drain. The pressure & heat of the water  
soothing her sore muscles. She could still taste the foul bitterness of demon blood that was now helping her broken bones  
heal & her bruised fade. The devil's blood may run in her veins, but for it to help her heal properly & swiftly it must  
be nourished. Anya hated having to consume the vile substance, it took everything not the gag when ever she drank it. She  
tried not the think of it as she scrubbed the grime away. Scrubbed the remains of her lost battle off her body, & hair. As  
usual she could only get the surface clean. Her skin scrubbed to a bright pink, but her mind & soul would forever be stained.

  
 She had lost another one. She let the water rain over her willing it to wash away her thoughts as she fought to  
keep her mind from wondering back into it's dark cave. She failed. It wasn't often that a soul she was sent to collect  
slipped through her fingers into the awaiting hands of a demon. Contracted souls were a bitch to guide. This one had traded  
its self to save a beloved friend- the deal being in exchange for their soul, their friend wouldn't die from an illness they  
had as a child. The demon kept its end of the bargain, the friend did not die from their illness- they were completely cured-  
instead they were killed in a robbing on their way to tell the soul the good news.  
   
 Anya arrived to see the soul arguing with the demon, saying that they had lied, that their friend had died anyway  
all those years ago. _"Yes."_ The demon agreed. _"but they did not die from their illness just as you requested."_ Sharp, razor  
teeth graced a toothy grin stretched ear to ear across the demons face. It was then Anya knew getting that soul to Valhalla  
was going to be a challenge for the demon had full right to gobble up the soul, but it was her job to protect it & escort  
them to Valhalla. She had fought well, but in the end she was looking up from under the demon's foot as he swallowed the  
unfortunate soul before she could thrust her sword up into the demon's gut. The demon was dead & so was her soul.

 

 She had no idea how long she stood under the shower's spray, but when she finally emerged from her thoughts the  
water was running cold. Drying off she could see her bruises changing from purple to yellow as they faded into non  
existence. Her ribs had already set & fused back together as did her finger bones she popped back into place. All evidence  
of her loses disappearing from open eyes. She had decided she needed a drink. Preferably something strong. She threw on her  
robe ready to head down stairs when she saw something brown & fuzzy out of the corner of her eye.

 

 After hearing Anya's scream Levi ran back upstairs two at a time brandishing the knife he kept strapped to his ankle  
when he burst into her room. Again she was no where in sight.

 

 "Get rid of it!"  
   
 He looked up to see her perched on one if the rafter beams, her wings fluttering like a frighten bird. She frantically  
pointed to the direction of her bed. "It's over there!" He looked in the direction she was pointing to  see a big fury  
tarantula slowly making its way across the floor. Annoyed he looked back up at her.

 

 "Seriously? All that damn yelling for that!" He thrust his knife in the spider's direction. "Its not even a  
venomous type!" He wasn't afraid of them, just never cared for them. He & Furlan would usher them out of the house because  
Isabelle freaked out every time she saw one- not as bad as Anya however.

 

 "I don't give a bloody fuck, just get rid of it!"

 

 "You can paralyze a man who held a knife to your throat without batting so much as a fucking eyelash, but you're  
chicken shit when it comes to a fucking spider?"

 

 Anya tore her eyes away from the brown, fury ball with legs & set them upon the mini Lucifer. "Yes." she clipped.  
"I'm an absolute pussy when it comes to those eight legged freaks of nature. Now would you please kill the damn thing? I  
don't want it finding its way back into my house!"

 

 Shaking his head Levi walked over to the creepy little shit & dropped his knife into. Xander flew in landing next  
to the struggling tarantula. Its legs sprawling around before it finally gave out. The little gray dragon looked up at Levi  
with large, golden puppy-dog eyes, begging him to hurry & remove the knife. Once the blade was back in his hand a serpent  
tongue wrapped around the corpse & vanished into the dragon's mouth. Levi could swear he saw the winged beast smiling as he  
swallowed his hairy snack.

 

 "You don't expect me to catch you now, _Princess_." He turned his attention back to the Valkyrie imitating an owl.

 

 Anya jumped down from the beam landing on the balls of her feet with ease. A hallow emptiness took the seat of fear  
in her eyes. Her blank face staring off at the spot the spider had occupied. More memories of those legs creeping over her  
skin flashed through her mind. A shiver danced up her spine & she absently rubbed her arms to shake off the sensation.

 

 "Maybe if you put some damn clothes on you wouldn't be cold & shivering." Levi's deadpan suggestion was a beacon  
bringing her back up to the surface of her mind. She was still in her robe. Her damp hair had soaked the black satin making  
the fabric stick to her like a second skin. She opened a drawer & starting pulling out clothing when Levi headed for the  
door.

 

 "Don't leave." Her voice was barely a whisper, she didn't know if Levi had heard her. She took the lack of the door's  
closing click that he did. "Please. I don't want to be alone right now. I don't want to be inside my head."

 

 The expression on her face was one Levi had seen on Erwin's so many times. Every time they came back from an  
 expedition & he would look over the reports tallying up the number of soldiers lost- the countless men & woman he  
 sacrifice for humanity- he would looked pathetically lost. The dark circles under his eyes would deepen from lack of sleep &  
the worry lines between his ridiculous eyebrows would make him look as if he's aged a decade.

 

 "Why don't you go see you brothers if you don't want to be alone?" He bit the question out harsher than he intended.

 

 "They would try to fix me. I don't think they realize that I was broken before I was even born. I'm forever a damned  
soul."

 

 At that Levi could only see Erwin standing there at the open drawer, a shirt crumpled up in his fist. "Fine. Get  
dress. I'll be right back." He quietly left the room heading down stairs.

 

 Anya quickly changed slipping into pajama pants & an over-sized hoodie. She was arranging up a chess set when Levi  
came back carrying a tray with a pot of black tea, teacups, squat glasses & a bottle of her favourite Irish whiskey.

 

 He placed the tray on the edge of the table. "Your brothers said you were going to need this after... work." He  
held out a squat glass to her. The caramel colored liquid threatened to spill over the edge as it sloshed around.

 

 Anya relinquish in the heat of the alcohol settling in her belly. Her brothers knew her so damn well. She settled  
into one of the chairs tucking her legs under her. "Do you play chess? She took the teacup Levi had poured for her.

 

 "Yeah, but I get the black pieces." He couldn't help but smile at Anya's pouting face. She had the same puppy-dog  
eyes as her dragon while she pursed her lips. "Fine." She turned the set so the black pieces faced him. Levi took a swig  
of the whiskey letting its bitterness dance on his tongue. "Not bad. Taste expensive."

 

 "It is when we import it." She sipped her tea moving her first pawn to C3 on the board freeing up her bishop.  
"That's why my brothers & I bring back several cases when we go to Ireland."

 

 Levi placed his knight on E6. "I heard you guys make a trip to Ireland every year." Anya moved another pawn to H6.  
"Sometimes you just have to go back home." Levi didn't agree. Once he was out of the underground he never thought about  
going back.

 

 "Sounds like you've been talking to my brother, Argo." Levi moved his knight to C4 which Anya countered moving her  
bishop to D3. "How'd you figured it was Argo & not Al?" He moved his knight to E3 out of her bishop's way. "Easy." Her pawn on F2  
took his knight. "Argo doesn't know how to shut the hell up around an attractive man." Levi's eyebrows raised slightly as he took  
a sip of his tea. Anya finished off her whiskey. He slid a pawn to B5. "Is that so? Maybe I need to talk to him more then."

 

 Anya put her rook on H6. "Trust me he'll talk your ear off when given the chance." She watched as Levi moved a pawn  
to F5. "What all did the two of you talk about?" She placed her rook on F3.

 

 "Not much." He slid his bishop across the board to A2 stealing her pawn. "Talked about your dancing career for one.  
You were a Prima Ballerina."

 

 Her rook took is bishop. "I still am. I only retired because it's kinda hard to keep up appearances when you don't  
age. Rumors started spreading. If it wasn't for that I'd still be on stage, but my face is too well known to start over  
somewhere else."

 

 Levi moved another pawn to A6. "He explained the Celtic knots on those rugs you have hanging. Didn't get a chance  
to tell me what the one carved under your bed means." Anya's bishop moved from D3 to A6 for his pawn. His rook stole her  
bishop, then her rook took his. "It means Warrior."

 

 The word hit a nerve with Levi every time he heard it now. It was no longer a word associated with soldiers within  
the walls, but for the traitors they thought stood by them in the fight against Titans. It's been two years since they took  
back Wall Maria & he still hadn't made good on his promise to Erwin & killed the Beast Titan.

 

 "Its your move." Anya reminded him shaking him out of his thoughts. He moved another pawn to H5.

 

 Their game came to an end with a stalemate. Neither of them losing or winning. You can learn a lot about someone  
by the way they play chess. When Levi played with Erwin he would sacrifice piece after piece like he did with soldiers on  
the field to achieve his goal of checkmating Levi. Even to the point of putting his queen- his own life- in danger if it  
meant his objective would be achieved. It was a wonder he wasn't named 'Suicidal Bastard' like Eren.

  
  Anya on the other hand tried to save as many pieces as possible. Levi did the same, but knew when ruthless  
 sacrifices needed to be made. Anya shook the empty whiskey bottle. Between sipping their teas & focusing on their match  
they didn't realize they had polished it off. Neither of them seem to be the least bit drunk, or tipsy.

 

 "How'd the tea do for the drunken brats?" Anya asked remembering having to help haul Jean to the room the boys  
slept in while he kept making passes at her. His alcohol induce euphoria giving him enough balls to grab her ass earning  
him a solid head butt with the bed post.

 

 "They had completely forgotten about their hangovers within a hour." Levi set the board up for another match.

 

 "Glad to hear it. A shame they couldn't hold their liquor like you Ackermans."

 

 "You seem to hold yours pretty well." He motioned to the empty bottle now sitting on the floor.

 

 She chuckled. "That's because nothing compares to Devil's brew. That shit's stronger than absinthe, it'll knock you  
on your ass if you're not careful."

 

 "Sounds like a drink for Pixis. I don't think I've even seen the man with his flask."

 

 "I'd give you some to take back with you for him, but it's lethal to mortals. Not even my brothers can drink it."

 

 "So how exactly can you drink it?" Levi waited for Anya to decided where she was going to move her knight.

 

 Her nose crunched up with her smile. "I'm not exactly normal when it comes to my species."

 

 Levi didn't press the matter on what she meant as they got lost in another game only for it to end in another draw.

 

 "You not losing on purpose are you?" Anya's stupid question had Levi glaring at her like she grew horns to match  
her wings. "I don't see you winning either, _Princess_." He snapped. She held her hands up defensively, laughing while he  
set the board again.

 

 "Alright, alright. How about I go make us another pot of tea, & when I get back I'll kick your ass in the next game."  
Anya grabbed the tea pot heading towards her bedroom door.

 

 "If you can kick my ass at chess, than why haven't you done it yet?" Levi joined in the trash talking. "I thought  
you didn't need to hold back on us Ackermans."

 

 All he got in response from Anya was her humming the song she danced to at the ball. "Oi!" He shouted grabbing her attention before the door shut behind her. "What day in October were you guys born?" Erwin's birthday was the 13th. He & Hanji celebrate it every year along with all the other fallen friend's day of birth. On his own after he'd help Hanji, drunk, & crying into her bed he would go into town & buy a slice of Erwin's favourite cake. Chocolate with chocolate icing. It was expensive, but he didn't feel right not getting a piece to eat while he sat at his grave. He would also buy a bottle of his favourite brandy & pour half of it on his headstone, the other half into his belly along with the cake. He knew Erwin couldn't enjoy it anymore. Knew it was completely irrational to continue a tradition the two of them had formed together, but he couldn't let die like he did Erwin. He had to keep something of him alive that was just meant for the two of them.

 

"Our birthday's Halloween. The 31st. Why?"

 

"No reason. Just curious is all."

 

Anya shrugged closing the door. She truly was an enigma of a woman, & he hated to admit that she kept him on his toes, & interested.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I'm going to do my best to not take so long to update the next chapter. Trust me, I have BIG FUCKING plans for it!


	7. Debillis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secret conversations, a splash of culture, some secrets reveled & a hunting incident. Things sure as hell are not going according to anyone's plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies! OMG first off let me say I am SO SORRY for taking even longer to update this chapter! Life kinda got in the way, but I finally finished it & let me tell you I am quite proud of it & think it's my best yet! Fair warning this RIDICUOUSLY LONG ASS chapter is an emotional roller coaster- there is harm done to animals in the matter of hunting, & of course as part of my OC "Anya" there are very dark, morbid parts, & there's even a little bit of Eruri tossed in too just to break both yours & mine hearts. Over all I hope you enjoy this! If you do please like, comment, tell a friend, let me know what you think & ENJOY!  
> Oh also the title of this chapter is Latin meaning "cripple", "weak", "lame", "wanting strength" - you get the idea.

Argo & Alistair leaned against the cave's open mouth. The stars up above twinkling in between the clouds that were  
to bring more rain. The rushing water crashing into the pound down below being the only noise interrupting the brother's  
small talk.

 

 "What ya think Anya wants to talk about?" Argo asked lighting a fresh cigg & offering one to his brother, Al who  
shook his head in decline. He swore off the things once his daughter Charlotte was born.

 

 "No idea. She just said we needed to talk. Doubt it's about work though." He sighed.

 

 "Yeah." Argo spoke in between nicotine filled puffs. "She never wants to talk bout that. Its like she doesn't trust us,  
or something." He saw Alistair opening his mouth to defend her, but he cut him off before any sound could be heard. "Yeah,  
yeah, yeah, I know that's not the case, brother." He exhaled more smoke. "Just feels like it, ya know? Wish she would open  
up bout it more."

 

 Alistair sighed again. "Yeah. I know exactly what you mean brother."

 

 The twins had grown used to their sister shutting them out when it came to her role as an Arcainic. Hell, she'd  
been shutting them out since they were kids & she had her first night terror from her soul's past training days. They  
could still remember her scream cutting through the frozen air of Ireland. Her eyes wide with fear as tears raced down her  
cheeks. When they asked what was wrong she just smiled, wiped her eyes, & laughed saying it was nothing. If it wasn't for  
the Arcainic, Maxell they probably wouldn't have known their sister was one at all.

 

 "She's been spending a lot of time around that Captain, you know."

 

 "Yeah. He's even staying in one of the spare rooms." The cherry on Argo's cigg glowed bright orange when he took  
another drag. "The guy's hot. I don't see how Anya can get anything done with him around." His eyes dropped low, & became  
hooded like he was fantasizing what it would be like to have the short man. An eyebrows tweaked when he got a juicy idea.

 

 "Easy." Alistair answered. "She's not a horn-dog like you." He chuckled. "Besides, I don't think he goes for your  
type, Argo."

 

 Argo snubbed his cigg on the bottom of his boot. "Oh he does, trust me he does. I can tell." The stupid grin on his  
face showing high hopes.

 

 "Yeah, that's what you said about the last guy & he ended up being married & trying to have a kid!"

 

 "What can I say? I'm not always right." Argo shrugged.

 

 The twins laughed. When Argo had a crush on someone it was always painfully obvious to his brother & sister. He was  
the one out of the three that wore his heart on his sleeve becoming a giggling school boy. Alistair tended to be more  
subtle. When he had first met Charlotte's mother, his sibling knew he fancied someone. They just couldn't tell who. It  
wasn't until she had gone into Anya's shop to meet a friend, when his sister over heard her talking about him, that they  
put two & two together. Now when it come to Anya, her brothers could never tell. She wasn't one for long lasting  
relationships. More like flings. By the time she tell them about whoever she was with, she had already bedded them & moved  
on. She liked who she liked, & as long as she was happy, & had fun, that's all her brothers cared about.

 

 Alistair thought back to when he first met Levi & the others on their ship. Their expressions were priceless when  
they saw their wings, & the wraith shadows of their weapons & the hounds. Pure shock & awe. Except for Levi. He didn't  
seem the bit phased by anything. The most emotion he showed was shouting what the fuck Anya had just done to the prisoner  
they were there to capture. Even when their father had struck them with his lighting the man's face stayed the same as he  
drank his tea & the table around him erupted with the shouts of his comrades. Just like Anya, always in control of their  
emotions in the midst of chaos.

 

 "He thinks like her." Argo gave Alistair a confused look not knowing whom he was talking about. "Levi." He  
clarified. "Him & Anya are alike it seems."

 

 "I think our sister is a bit more talkative than him." Argo lite another cigg. "Smiles & laughs a hell of a lot  
more too." Argo rubbed his arm. Surprisingly it was still a little sore where it had struck the table when Levi beat him in  
arm wrestling. "He's strong though. Sis wasn't pulling our leg bout that Ackerman strength, that's for bloody sure."

 

 "You sure you didn't let him win, because you like him?" Alistair quirked his eyebrows smirking at his brother.

 

 "Ha! Even you know that's a load of shite! I would never pretend to be that easy." He pointed a finger at him.

 

 "Yeah, you're right." Alistair admitted. Argo crossed his arms & leaned back against the cool stone of the cave  
satisfied with himself. "You don't need to pretend to be that easy."

 

 Argo's face dropped from a smug pride to a non amused puppy which had Alistair holding his stomach laughing.

 "At least I have the balls to...To..." Argo tried to think of a comeback. Alistair cupped his hear waiting to hear  
his twin's retort. "Yeah, I got nothing." He slapped Alistair's back laughing. "You got me good with that one, brother."

 

 They turned their heads to the sound of their sister's flapping wings as she landed onto the soft grass in front of  
them. Her waist-length hair falling over her face like a curtain hiding the actors from the audience. She was a good foot  
shorter then them making it easier for the twins to lift her up & sandwich her into a hug squeezing a strangled squeal out  
of her.

  
 "Ayye! Let go of me you twats! You're squishin mah boobs!" Her feet swung back & forth as her brothers began to sway  
left & right. Their arms interlock with one another trapping her in a vise.

 

 "We can't help it you've got big tits sis!" Argo cooed. "Besides you know you love our sandwich hugs!" Alistair  
sang. They tightened their hug squeezing their sister more. "I can't breathe!" She squeaked. Snickering the twins planted  
a kiss on her cheeks before placing her back down.

 

 "So what is it you want to talk about sis?" They asked in unison.

 

 "What'd you learn about our guest when you took them to the library?" Her question drained all fun & games out of  
the air. That was their sister. Laughing, smiling & joking one minute, serious, & stern the next.

 

 Anya become fascinated by the Scouts the second she heard them speak of Titans. Despite the amount of their kind in  
Valhalla, no one knew where they were from. Talk of giant, naked, man-eating creatures plague Valhalla's village streets.  
 Arcainics would shepherd their souls to gatherings of their fellow comrades, their friends, who have come from the  
same unknown island. It drove the Arcainics insane not knowing where these beyond tormented souls were coming from, but  
Anya was determine to found out.

 

 Argo spoke. Him having been the one to escort them to the library in the first place. "For starters." He lit a  
cigarette. "They were shocked at how big the world is. I showed 'em some maps, & they freaked out. Utterly amazed that  
whatever maps they've seen of the 'world beyond the walls' were true. Apparently books of the outside world to 'em was  
consider contraband."

 

 Anya plucked the cigg out of her brother's mouth & placed it in her own, inhaling deeply before asking if the  
scouts found their own island on the maps. Argo just shook his head as he lit a fresh cigg for himself. "Hanji & Armin  
literally fell asleep at the table with books & notepads spread out."

 

 "Those two absorbed whatever we threw at them." Alistair took over so Argo could suck in more smoke. "Even when we  
were translating books for them they never faulted in taking their notes trying to gain as much as they could to take back  
home with them."

 

 "So in other words, you didn't really learn anything new." Anya flicked the ash off her cigg, taking in another  
heady drag. Her brothers shook their heads. "Bloody hell!" She cursed.

 

 "What about you, sis? You have that stub muffin staying in your shop. Learn anything from him?" Argo exhaled. The  
gray smoke swirling around them as the wind picked up. The scent of rain not far behind.

 

 "I played a match of chess with him. He's a fighter through & through. Already I can tell his soul belongs in  
Valhalla." Her brothers eyed her, waiting for her to say more. She spoke of the Ackerman family often. They were the  
strongest souls Arcainics have ever brought to Valhalla & a pain in their asses. She complained about Levi's uncle Kenny  
always picking fights with the others in Valhalla.

 

 "He's smart." She continued. "He knows when sacrifices have to be made, & when sacrifices aren't needed. He try's  
to preserve as much as he can." She snub the butt of her cigg, declining her brother's offer of another. "He's a dangerous  
man when he needs to be, thinking outside the box to get shit done. He's not as cold as he seems either. The way he is  
around his team shows that much."

 

 "The girl, Mikasa, the same way. Although she tends to let her emotions rule her when it comes to the Eren boy."  
Alistair leaned back against the cave's mouth. "Her, him, & Armin are close knit. I'd say they grew up together."

 

 "Yeah. They've been through a lot together. Levi mentioned to me that Mikasa was almost taken by sex slave traders.  
Her & Eren had killed her kidnappers when they were only nine years of age." Argo & Alistair agreed with their sister.  
Having had their own experience with sex slave traders they knew full well how that can effect you.

 

 "Hey sis." Argo took it upon himself to lighten the sorrowful mood that had fallen. Anya nodded her head in  
acknowledgement. "How the hell you get anything done with Levi around?" He elbowed Alistair in the side thinking back to the  
talk they had before their sister arrived. "That sexy Captain always near you, drinking tea in his 'I don't give a fuck'  
way has to be distracting."

 

 Anya's head tilted to the side. Her gray eyes looking into her brother's green ones. "Easy." Her voice stayed in  
it's dead-pan tone like she relaying a report. "I'm not a horn-dog like you."

 

 Argo's face dropped once again & Alistair fell to the ground laughing. Anya looked between her brothers wondering  
what the hell was so damn funny.

 

 "You guys are so mean to me!" Argo pouted. "Al, told me the same thing." He explained to his confused sister.

 

 "That explains why he's on the ground laughing his ass off." She chuckled.

 

 "I hate you both. You're such mean siblings."

 

 Alistair picked himself up & hugged Argo. Anya hugged him from the other sandwiching him like they did her. "Awww!"  
They both said at the same time. "We love you too, bro!" His beard scratching their faces when they kissed his cheeks. Anya  
had to stand on her toes with him leaning to the side to reach.

 

 "You two are such saps." He said wiping his cheeks.

 

 "Oi, We're triplets brother."

 

 "If we're saps that mean you are too." Anya finished Alistair's sentence.

 

 They hugged each other tightly, a soft chuckled fluttering between them. Once they calm down Anya mentioned she would  
try to talk to some of the souls in Valhalla to see if any of them could tell them more about the scouts. Argo informed her  
that he had invited the scouts to come hunting with them because of Sasha's hunting history. Their father loved the idea &  
decided that they should all go into town to buy supplies.

 

 "But we have plenty of supplies." Anya complained.

 

 "Yeah but you know dad. He-" Anya & Alistair joined Argo on the last word. "Insisted." A collective sigh dropped  
with their shoulders.

 

 Anya would have to wait to go to Valhalla. Good thing she wasn't in a rush to go back there anyway. The triplets  
embraced one last time before stretching their wings to take flight. They were a distance away from each other when  
Alistair turned back & shouted "Love you guys!" Argo was the first to respond. "Love you too, sap!"

 

 "Dick-breathe!" Alistair shouted back. Argo simply shrugged at the insult.

 

 "Love you too, bros" Anya answered laughing at the wo of them.

 

 Argo & Alistair looked at each. A silent agreement exchanging between them before they turned to their sister, cupped  
their hands around their mouths & shouted. "Night, Short cake!" Anya instantly flipped them off. They've called her that  
since they were kids, she hated it, but that never stopped them from calling her by it every now & then.

 

 "Night, fuckheads!" They waved each other off flying to their homes.

  
\--

  
 The carriages lightly swayed along the cobble-stoned road. The first one held the royal family- minus the King's  
brother, Bergot- with Hanji & Levi joining them. The second carriage trailing behind them held  their brats. The trip  
into town wasn't long, the distance to it from the castle being relatively short. It was however suffocating. There was a  
stifling tension between Anya & her brother Argo. He had thought it would be funny to trick her into wearing a dress for the  
day's outing. "A beautiful dress, for a beautiful day." He told her saying they were their father's words. Their father  
of course informed her that he did not in fact insisted on it after he questioned her about the dagger she had strapped to  
her thigh. She asked if they could reach a compromise- she didn't have to give up her blade since she wore what he wanted.  
Now they sat on opposite sides of the carriage. Anya sat next to one of the windows sandwiching Levi between her & Hanji.  
Argo sat caddy-corner to his sister placing Alistair between him & the king. Little Lottie comfortably sitting on her  
grandfather's lap.

  
 The sundress she wore was a simple, yet beautiful work of art created by Argo himself. The peacock blue fabric accenting  
off her pale sun-kissed skin. The thin straps showed off her collar bone & strong arms that she crossed under her breasts  
seething in her seat. The bodice was fitted around her chest while the skirting cinched the narrow of her waist, the hem  
dropping just above her knees. All of his stitching perfectly strategized to compliment her luscious curves, right down to  
the nude, strappy heels she chose herself -for height- that reveled long, well defined calves. Fighting kept her strong & toned,  
ballet kept her graceful & feminine without her muscles becoming too "masculine" like the way Mikasa thought of her own abs  
sometimes. Over all she was a pissed-off portrait of beauty.

  
 She wished she had her hair down to shield her resting-bitch-face, but the potential storm made the air far too hot &  
humid to do so. Her messy bun held in place with a pencil allowed a few stands to graze the back of her neck, but it didn't  
dare let anymore than that fall. She would have to make do with her bangs she kept leveled with her cheek bones.

 

 "It really is a beautiful dress, Anya." Hanji broke the silence of the carriage. Anya gave the woman wearing the  
white pants & brown boots of her uniform along with her signature yellow button down an annoyed side ways glance. Luckily,  
Hanji sat taller than Levi, giving Anya's eyes a strait line to her from over the top of raven black hair.

 

 Little Lottie took Hanji's line as a cue to drop her two cents. "Aunty Anya? I know you don't care for dressing up,  
but you really do look beautiful." Her voice was soft like she was afraid of being scolded, but assertive enough to get her  
point across to her aunt.

 

 Anya's face softened when she turned to face her. It truly was impossible to stay mad when her niece phrased her  
words just the right way to show she understood that it wasn't the dress Anya was irritated about, it was being tricked into  
wearing one. "Thank you, Little Wings." She smiled. "But I could never be as pretty as you."

 

 "You're right about that!" She smiled a shit-eating grin pointing at her cheeks. "Just look at these dimples! I'll  
always be cute!"

 

 "You're starting to sound like your father." King Klein laughed.

 

 "You make that sound like its a bad thing, dad." Alistair's rebuttal filled the carriage with soft chuckles, easing  
the tension that wrapped around them.

 

 When they finally arrived at their destination & both carriages were emptied of bodies, they aimlessly walked about  
the crowds of the market. They had all tried to stay together since the scouts didn't quite know their way around, but  
curiosity got the better of them all & it wasn't long before everyone spilt up & went their separate ways.

  
 Sasha took off after the scent of food cooking with Connie, Mikasa, Jean & Eren following her. Armin was going to go  
with them until he got distracted by an open store selling books; Levi went in with him. Alistair & Little Lottie continue  
to walk around aimlessly with no destination in mind enjoying the sights they've seen countless times. Anya took off to her  
favourite tea shop before Argo could drag her to his favourite clothing store & use her as his own personal Barbie to dress  
up. He had done enough of that for the day. Hanji stayed with King Klein to shop for supplies for their upcoming hunting  
trip- the reason they were all there in the first place.

 

 Hours had gone by since they had all arrived to the market early that morning. The sun dipping low on the horizon

just pass late-evening, but not quite dusk yet.

  
 Levi had wandered into the tea shop Argo & Alistair told him Anya had gone into hide away from the crowds. It wasn't  
crowed, a few people sat among the tables, but not enough to make you want to curl in on yourself like outside on the streets.

  
 Anya wasn't anywhere in sight. Levi walked over to the front counter to ask the Valkyrie if she had left with the  
only thing he had purchased all day in hand. He didn't understand any of the words written in it, he did however like the  
artwork. Worlds he had never seen & probably never will were painted in water colour pastels, age making the landscapes  
lose their vibrancy in colour, but not their beauty. His favourite was a portrait of the shore. A dirt road lead to a beach  
with red grass-like flowers creating a lane. Rock formations lined the coast, framing the calm, blue sea under a cloud covered  
sky. The book was in good condition. The cover fraying a bit on the ends from years of use, but it held together firmly.

 

 "Has Princess Anya left already?" The man behind the countered turned away from watering his plants. He was about  
Hanji's height, & his pale red hair was thinning on the sides. His belly jiggled as he approached the counter.

 

 "You must be one of the royal family's mysterious guests I've heard so much about." The man spoke clearly in the  
Scout's native tongue without flaw just as everyone else they had spoken to that day. "She's still here, just go thru that  
curtain & you should find her at her usual table." He pointed Levi in the direction he needed to go. Levi thanked him &  
started off to the curtain when the man called out to him.

 

 "I wouldn't call her Princess if I were you. She hates being called by her titled." He laughed through his nose.

 

 The corner of Levi's mouth twitched upwards. "I'm aware."

 

 Anya was scribbling in the sketch book she had brought along with her. An exact copy of the Scouts in their uniforms  
from the day they all first met coloured the page in shades of gray, & black from the charcoal pencil she used to hold her  
hair up. They were all talking away at whatever had them hypnotized. Eren was leaning into Armin completely enthralled in  
what Armin was going on about with that brilliant brain of his. Mikasa not far from Eren's side listening in. Jean, was yakking  
it up with Connie, an arrogant smile on his face. Connie didn't appear to be paying attention to him since he was busy asking-  
or perhaps scolding- Sasha who was stuffing her face with what looked like to be bread. Hanji & Levi stood off to the side of  
every one else. Hanji's arms were swinging about over her head as she become animated in yet another theory of hers. Levi  
stood there half listening with a cup of tea attached to her lips, his odd hold almost blocking his face from view.

  
 It was a rare moment of peace. A small space in time where they all forgot their worries, & only had their memories  
to look back on happy times. Here it was captured on a piece of paper, created by an unknown hand smudged in charcoal black  
soot. The hand was shading in the deck of the ship, never stopping when the voice of it's owner's shook Levi out of his trance.

 

 "How long you planning on looking over my shoulder, Levi?"

 

 He sat down in the chair across from her. Anya's focus remained on her sketching. She gnawed on the inside of her  
bottom lip as her hand guided the pencil's tip to fix a lighted area with the same unbroken concentration Mobilt used to  
draw with. He would stay up all night with Hanji sketching out images to go with her reports on the discoveries she found.  
In his spare time instead of drawing the giant ugly creatures call Titans he would draw portraits of his comrades. While  
sitting in the bar, a glass of his choice drink beside him, he would look at the throne of people sharing the blue & white  
wings on their backs laughing, chatting & drinking. His sketch book open in front of him with pencil in hand, he would sit  
for hours recreating the scene before him.

  
 For birthdays he enjoyed giving people a small booklet of sketches he had done specifically for the person.  
He had made one for Hanji with the pages filled with the various faces of the Titans they had captured & experimented on.  
It would have been a strange gift to anyone else, maybe would have been considered in poor taste, but for Hanji it was  
perfect. Erwin's had been filled with objects of the unknown world. Just random oddities he knew Erwin would enjoy. When  
Levi's birthday came around he admitted to him that he was by far the hardest to draw for since he really didn't express  
any real enjoyment for anything except for cleanliness & tea, but he didn't want to draw a bunch of tea leaves & cleaning  
supplies. Instead he chose to give Levi a booklet of flowers, & landscapes, & mountain ranges. All the scenes they had  
seen outside the walls on expeditions. They were drawn so well that even though they were drawn in basic black & white Levi  
swore he could see the yellow of a buttercup flower in all it's vivid glory. He had made it a point to show Mobilt his  
appreciation by bringing the tall, lean man into a hug. At first Mobilt tensed not knowing what to do, then relaxed & hugged  
 the small raven haired man. The booklet still laid at the bottom of Levi's chest carefully wrapped in clean, black cloth to  
help keep the pages from fading.

 Perhaps that's why Levi picked up the book now in his hand. The paintings reminded him of Mobilt's artwork.

 

 Anya finally looked up for the first time since Levi came into the shop & sat down. She looked over her work  
searching for anything that may need more tweaking in the picture. Satisfied with everything she had drawn she signed her  
name in the bottom right hand corner. Now it was complete. She turned the finished product toward Levi offering for him to  
look at it without saying a word. Levi was careful to hold the book by the edges so not the smudge anything.  
 He flipped through the pages while she spoke to the counter man that had brought a fresh pot of tea, a plate of  
sweets for her & a freshly cleaned cup for Levi. Anya had drawn individual portraits of everyone. Jean, Eren, Sasha, Armin,  
Connie, & Mikasa each had their own page. Their faces staring back at him as he flipped one page over the next. Each one a  
stilled snapshot from memory. The last page he flipped to was still being drawn. The messy hair, slim face, & round glasses  
of Hanji taking shape.

 

 "These are well done." Levi handed traded Anya her sketch book for a cup of black tea. "Where's mine?" He couldn't  
help but ask in mock disappointment.

 

 "Haven't started on it yet." Anya tucked the book into her bag. The air was cooler then had been earlier so she let  
her hair stay down & threw the pencil she was drawing with into the bag as well. She used a damp cloth the counter man had  
brought her to clean her charcoal cover hand before taking a bite of scone & a sip of her tea. "How'd everyone enjoy the  
market today? Find anything good?" She motioned her head to the art book Levi held.

 

 "The brats seemed to enjoy themselves today. Armin found more books than he can carry to fill the carriage with. I  
just got this one. Can't read what any of it says though."

 

 Anya held to hand out. "Want me to translate?" Taking the book she turned to the page Levi had marked to see the  
painting he had become so fond of.  The French language neatly printed under the photo. "Oooh." She cooed. "You have good  
taste in art. This is 'Meadow Road to Pourville' it's a painting by Claude Monet. He was a famous French artist known for  
his portraits of landscapes." She absently flipped through the book like Levi did with her sketches, taking in each stroke  
of a brush, & blend of colour before handing it back.

 

 "Why are you at a tea shop when you own one?" Levi knew it wasn't any of his business what Anya did, but it simply  
didn't make sense to him.

 

 Anya answered his question with a question. "Did you try the tea?" Her lips spread into a smile around the rim of  
her cup. She watched Levi bring his own cup to his lips. Part question, & annoyance mixed on his face until the rich, bold  
ribbon of flavor touched his tongue. The tea was strong. Really strong. Slight undertones of a floral taste skipped thru  
the bitterness. His face dropped into an expression of awe-struck. The tea was far better than the stuff that had the royal  
warrant seal back home.

 

 Anya sucked the icing from her scone off her fingers. "Mmhmm." She Looked at Levi understanding the Pasa Dobule  
that danced on his tongue. "That's why I've been coming here since my brothers & I first came to the island."

 

 "Please tell me you have this at your shop." Levi was already pouring himself more from the pot, when Anya  
laughed.

 

 "That's why I'm here. I have to replenish my supply. The owner won't sell me the recipe, & I can't figure out what  
leaves he used for the life of me."

 

 "Don't forget to tell him about the time you broke in here to try & steal it." The counter man wobbled over carrying  
another scone for Anya.

 

 "That was years ago & you still remind me of it every time I come in here.  
Are you going around telling anyone & everyone that story?"

 

 The man snorted. "Yup! To anyone that'll listen. I'll stare them down & ask 'Hey, did I tell you bout the time the  
Princess broke in here to steal tea?'. It's a hell of story to get customers. I ought to make a sign sayn' My tea is so  
good that the Princess her self tried to steal it.'". He proudly stated his claim waving his across an invisible banner.

 

 "I'm surprised you haven't made it yet." Anya scoffed taking a bite of the sweet pastry.

 

 "Naw. You comin here often is enough of free advertising for me. Beside." He leaned in closer making a show like he  
cared is anyone heard. "Yer dad might have my head if I ever did make it."

 

 "Wait. You actually broke in here for tea." Levi interrupted before Anya & the man could go on poking fun at each  
other.

 

 "About fifteen years ago." Anya poked the fat man in his belly. "Pocky, here wouldn't tell me what leaves he uses,  
& he wouldn't sell it to me even after I found out I'm royalty. I even offered him an absurd amount of money to get it, but  
it wouldn't budge then & he won't budge now, so I'm stuck coming here to get my personal supply."

 

 Pocky snorted again. "I make more money off you this way. I will admit, your pastries are better than mine."

 

 "I agree." Levi put down a scone he had just bitten into.

 

 Anya stood picking up her bag & gave Pocky a quick hug. "Better get going if we're gonna make it in time for the  
festival."

 

 "Festival?" Levi quirked an eyebrow. No one informed the Scouts about a festival.

 

 Anya grabbed his hand dragging him out into the crowd filled street ignoring his question. The Valkyries held a  
festival for the in coming autumn season in celebration of good fortune. Music could already be heard pumping from the  
center of the village. It wasn't long before they all rejoined. The Scouts, & the royal family finding each other in the  
gathering crowd. Thunder was beginning to mix with the beat of the music as small flashes of lightening danced above the  
mountains. The scouts stood on their toes jumping up & down trying to get a good look of everything around them. Sasha &  
Connie froze at the touch of a giant hand on their shoulder.

 

 King Klein stood right behind them. "You kids go have fun. Little Lottie & I are heading back to the castle."

 

 "What about all our-"

 

 "Don't worry, everything we got today is already on it's way to the castle short stack." Hanji cut Levi's question  
short.

 

 Little Lottie place Levi's book in Anya's bag. "You guys have fun alright!"

 

 "Why aren't you joining us, Lottie." Mikasa asked. The other's nodding their heads asking the same.

 

 She gave an exaggerated sigh letting her head fall to the side. "Dad says I'm not old enough to attend these yet."

 

 "Agree." Both Anya & Argo spoke in unison raising a hand.

 

 King Klein began chuckling taking Little Lottie's hand leaving the scouts confused & the triplets with cheserie cat  
grins. Before anyone could ask more questions Argo, Alistair, & Anya grab the scouts by the hands & lead them thru the fist  
pumping crowd. Overhead the soft glish of playing violins coming through the speakers suddenly cease. Silence fell over the  
gather Valkyries as static filled the air. Looking around the scouts noticed that Little Lottie wasn't the only child not  
attending the festival. There were no children at all in the packed village center.

 

 Slowly a faint beat replaced the static & everyone began to sway. Heads were bobbing to the beat trying to get a  
feel for the music that was gradually becoming louder. A stranger's shoulder would start twitching or someone would  
accidently bumped into them as the energy began to build. The scouts whispered back & forth wondering if they too should  
start moving. Excitement. Anticipation. Curiosity. Confusion, & the thrill of the unknown experience flowed through them.

 

 Alistair leaned towards them & whispered. "You're about to get a crash course in our culture here on Incetaio." A  
smug smirk graced his handsome face like he was hiding a secret from them.

 

 More & more of the crowd swayed to the rhythm of the Latin beat when it stopped. The crowd unfazed by the sudden  
lack of music. Without warning the speakers came alive at the deafening volume when every body jumped into the air with the  
resuming of the fast, pounding thuds. Their hands clapping in time with the beat & hips violently began to swerve, gyrate,  
& become loose. Arms were thrown over their heads as bodies become an untamed ocean of dancing Valkyries.

  
 The scouts were caught in the mist of the dancing chaos unsure of what to do. They was never seen such provocative,  
lewd, lustful dancing. People were grinding on one another, hands roaming where they please, groins pressed so tightly  
together the scouts swore they would be impregnated just from watching. It was no wonder why children weren't allowed to attend. 

 

Their faces pink with heated blush as they saw their Commander, Hanji, rub her butt up against Alistair, his hands on her  
waist guiding their hips to move unison as he pressed into her backside.

 

 Eren shouted over the booming of the music. "What the hell are we supposed to do!?"

 

 Argo shouted back. "Come on. Just start dancing!" Easy for him to say. He was smack in the middle of a dancing  
three-sum with two other men.

 

 Jean didn't need to be told twice as a woman wrapped his arm around her neck. He waved everyone off letting her take  
him into the wave of swaying bodies. Connie & Sasha stuck to dancing together in an awkward attempt to mimic the crowd  
laughing at themselves. Mikasa got into the swing of things feeling the music pump through her. A man came up behind her &  
placed his hands on her shoulders. To Eren's & Armin's surprised she didn't fight him instead she let him turn her around  
 as the music flowed from one song into the next.

 

 "Mi-Mikasa..." Armin stuttered. She ignored him rocking her hips in time with the music. "Uhh... We don't understand,  
the words." He stammered in a poor excuse for why he & Eren were the only ones not dancing. They looked over to their  
Captain for guidance only to see him getting swept up in the crowd himself letting an attractive woman grind into him. Levi  
surprisingly had loose hips.

 

 "That's the beauty of music, lads!" The two of them stiffened at Anya's light touches on their necks. "You don't  
have to understand the language the words are in to enjoy it." She pulled their hips against her own helping them sway left  
& right. "You just let the music fill you." She slowly turned them in a circle. "Feel the beat sync with your heart & your  
core unfurl. " Her finger tip tilted Eren's head down toward her. "You." Her voice was low, but he could hear every word she  
spoke as clearly as if it were dead quiet around them. "I can see the wild streak you keep tamed in those honey- green eyes  
of yours. _Let. It. Free_." Letting Eren go to mingle she turned her attention to Armin. He gulped as her lips became  
dangerously close to his. "Armin." She purred. "You have a beautifully, brilliant mind." She dug her fingers into his hips  
forcing him to press his torso against her chest. A surprise gasps escape his throat at the unexpected contact. "But you  
need to get out of your head." His hips were stiff in moving at first, but with her help he began to move freely.

 

 Soon he took off, blonde head bobbing along with the rest of the Valkyries dancing. The scouts let themselves become  
intoxicated with the rush of bodies rubbing, grinding, & intertwining with on another in a dance that could only be describe  
as sex with clothes on. The clouds erupted into the much needed cold shower over the heat of a sweating sea.

 

 

 The festivities lasted well through the night, the scouts staying nearly till dawn. By the time they finally went to  
bed, they were exhausted. They had a ball, their feet ached, & their heads were spinning from the excitement of the night.  
Sleep came to them all quickly once their heads met pillows. If this was the Valkyries culture, they couldn't wait to  
experience more of it.

 

  
\--

 

  
 "He's so huge! Anya! How can you ride him?" Hanji's eyes were glued to the sleek, muscled body before her.

 

 "Size doesn't matter. He may be big, but all that means is more power & speed."  
   
  Jean was pointing a warning finger at the shit-eating grin Eren wore. He's eyes shifted back & forth. "Don't you  
fucking say it Jaeger!"

 

 "Eren..." "Eren, no." Both Mikasa & Armin warned.

 

 "Look! Finally a bigger horse's ass than Jean!" He didn't listen.

 

 Connie, held onto Jean, while Mikasa held a laughing Eren. Hanji simply shook her head at the boys, then returned her  
attention to the black Clydesdale horse name Seamus. The triplets had brought a stable of them from Ireland when they first  
reconnected with their father, because of their size they're able to carry the added weight of the Valkyrie's wings.  
   
 Argo popped his head into one of the stable doors, Alistair right beside him. The two of them looking like a set of  
before & after pictures of a freshly shaved man. "Oi! We bout ready to go?"

  
 "Yeah, dad's out here trying to show off his equestrian skills to Levi, & Sasha."

 

 Eren, Connie, Mikasa, & Jean eyed the row of saddled horses meant for them. Their faces questioning how they were  
supposed to ride something so big. "Relax guys!" Hanji swung her leg over her horse with ease. "I'm sure if Anya & Levi  
can ride these big beauties with no problem, then you guys shouldn't have an issue either." Anya straddled Seamus & trotted  
him out of the stables as if to prove Hanji's point. Mikasa soon followed Anya's example. The boys looked at one another,  
shrugged, & climbed on their horses.

  
 To the Scout's surprise the horse's size really didn't effect their riding. To an even bigger surprise they didn't  
ride with a royal guard. The King didn't bring servants, bodyguards, or anything of the sort, just the two carts the twins  
hauled behind their horses. One of them filled with three days of supplies such has tents, bedding, extra ammo, food & water.  
The only hunting dogs they brought along were Anya's hell hounds 'Torrid' & 'Mercury' who ran along side her in & out of  
wraith shadow state.

  
 It was odd. The scouts couldn't recall the last time they rode without being in formation. The morning air was brisk,  
the grass was still wet with morning due, a chilly breeze would bring the crisp scent of Autumn to their noses, & with no  
threats of Titans coming at them they were able to ride without worries. They were, in a sense. _Free_.

 

 Up ahead the forest they were going to hunt in came into view. "Wow, those trees are kinda small compared to the ones  
back home." Connie spoke up to be heard over the sounds of their 3DMG rattling, & the thundering pounds of the Clydesdales  
hooves. "Are we sure our gear will work with those?"

 

 "Our gear will work just fine." Levi answered Sasha. "Worry about not shooting yourself, or each other."

 

 Puzzled Alistair rode in close to his brother. "What kind of mutant trees do you think they have?" Argo shrugged.  
"Beats me."

 

 Torrid let out a howl calling attention. Mercury answered her as the two hounds pushed forward. A plump, fluffy rabbit  
ran along the border of the forest obviously knowing it was now in danger. Anya coaxed Seamus to a full run, pulling an  
arrow from her quiver. Her hounds were fast having already forced the rabbit to run away from the forest & into open land.  
The poor thing didn't stand a chance even as it zig-zag its way out of their snapping jaws. Anya's aim was true as one of her  
arrows struck the ground pinning the rabbit by its throat.

 

 "That's my daughter!" The King so proudly exclaimed. Her brothers however weren't too happy about her landing the  
first kill of the hunt. A few whistle commands & her hounds were bringing her the rabbit to place in the cart.

  
 "Show off!" Alistair pouted.

 

 "You're just mad because now I don't have to help set camp."

 

 "You never do!" Argo snapped.

 

 "Not my fault I'm the better hunter." Anya sang.

 

 "Boys! You know the rules!" Their father scolded.

 

 "Yeah, yeah, yeah. First kill get's a head start." The twins spoke is unison dramatically rolling their eyes.

 

 It was all part of the competition. Whoever manage to nab the first kill of the hunt got to start hunting right away  
with out having to help set the tents. This allowed them plenty of day light to hunt & gather more prey giving them a lead.

  
 Anya set Seamus off at a trot. "Sasha! Come with me lass."

 

 "Yes Ma'am."

 

 They took off deeper into the forest while the others began searching for camping grounds which they found in record  
time. Once the tents were set, & all supplies put up the twins were the first to plunge into the woods after their sister.  
Slowly the scouts wade their way in as well, the brats racing each other, happy to be flying between the trees shouting  
about who was going to bag more. Levi & Hanji took their time staying behind to be with the King who was already hopping from  
tree limb to limb rifle in hand & ready to fire. It wasn't long before the sound of gunfire rang out through the forest.

  
 The sun was setting by the time everyone found their way back to camp with their bounty. Mikasa & Connie  
were piling their prey onto the cart. Eren & Jean plopped onto one of the logs around the fire pit, Armin sat besides  
them grinning ear to ear, please with him self.

 

 "What's wrong with you two?" Sasha asked after throwing her catches onto the cart.

 

 Jean tilted his head in her direction, face in his hand. "Eren & I didn't bag a damn thing."

 

 "Even Armin shot himself a couple of ducks." Eren complained. His eyes darting to his best friend like he was betrayed.

 

 Armin didn't say anything. Just shrugged & went on smiling to himself. Jean didn't care to see Armin's smile anymore.  
Even if the guy was bragging it still felt like he was gloating in his silence. He looked back at Sasha. "Where's Anya? Thought  
you two were hunting buddies now with the archery & shit." He cringed hearing his jealousy hit his ears. It wasn't far.  
Potato girl only got to be with the princess because she was good with a bow & arrow.

 

 "She was tracking a deer, so she told me to come to camp with out her."

 

 "She should be here soon then." The King, Hanji & Levi joined them around the fire pit. "It doesn't take her long to  
snatch her prey."

 

 The scouts stood saluting. "Welcome back, your Majesty!" they quickly greeted the king.

 

 He waved them down to sit. "There's no need for formalities out here. All I ask is that you don't call me old man."  
The skin around his eyes wrinkled every time he laughed & smiled. For someone of his age he was still youthful in spirit.  
Perhaps he still had another five hundred years in him.

 

 "Hey old man, did ya snag the twelve point buck over here?" Argo teased heaving his own bag of critters on top.

 

 "Nope. Levi here got that beauty." He patted the Captain on the back.

 

 "Seriously? That's impressive." Alistair sat on the log opposite of them.

 

 "Hanji's not bad herself. " Levi interjected not wanting the attention on him. "Even with one eye she's a hell of a  
shot. Managed to get he mate of the twelve point." He held up a hand stopping Alistair from asking if they followed the rules.  
"There was no spawn."

 

 "I've been meaning to ask ya bout that eye, actually." Argo sat next to his brother tugging out a bottle of whiskey  
from his bag.

 

 This was it. The scouts knew sooner or later they would be asked about their lives back home. It's been two years  
since they took back Wall Maria, but they still weren't ready to talk about it more then they have too. They didn't want to  
relive losing so many comrades, the betrayal of Reiner & Bertolt, Armin becoming a titan & eating Bertolt, Zeke the beast  
titan, losing the Commander. So much had happened that day. They each had their own burden to carry now as they push  
forward to stop Marley.

 

 Argo took a swig from the bottle, handing it to Alistair. "Levi." Levi nodded his head wondering which question  
would come first & how he would go about answering them.

 

 "Why do you call Hanji 'four-eyes' when she's missing an eye? Seems a little inconsiderate."

 

 The scouts looked at one another. The question was so... light. Levi looked at Hanji wondering how to answer the  
unexpected question. "Because calling her three-eyes doesn't have the right ring to it." He smirked at his own joke & saw the  
King chuckling to himself.

 

 Alistair nudge Argo's shoulder. "That actually makes sense to me."

 

 "Yeah, it sure dos-"

 

 A hissing noise interrupted the brother. Sasha was the first to figure out where the sound was coming from. "Eren.  
Connie. Don't move." Her voice didn't waver as she gave that command letting the boys know that this was something she's  
dealt with before & that they should listen to her. However curiosity got the better of them as they slowly turned their  
heads to see what had every one holding their breathes.

  
 A Copperhead's golden eyes watched them from its nest of fallen leaves. Its long, rusk colour body camouflage in the  
brown & orange autumn colours. A forked tongue tested the air, making its way into a striking coil. The silt irises of those  
golden disc never breaking contact with Eren's & Connie's. The two of them paralyzed in their seats.

 

 Connie made a move to crawl away from the slithering beast. Eren might not be harmed too much. His titan healing  
ability making recover for him faster- Connie on the other hand didn't have that luxury. The snake's head snapped to Connie,  
his movements catching its attention. It hissed baring its fangs at him, daring him to be quicker than its strike.

 

 "Don't move, idiot!" Connie froze at his Captain's order. The snake still staring him down. Levi unsheathe his blades  
from his 3DMG. The movement drawing the Copperhead's attention for a second, the next its head was on the ground. An arrow  
taking its head clean off its body. Both boys laughed nervously. "Nice shooting, Sasha." Connie praised her. "Yeah, you  
really save our asses with that shot." Eren joined in the thanking.

 

 Sasha looked between the two of them staring at the beheaded serpent. "I wish I could take the credit." She held her  
empty hands up. "But I don't even have my bow & arrow in hand."

 

 Alistair's voice quickly answered the scouts puzzlement. "Way to make an entrance, sis." Anya stepped off the tree  
limb she was perched on, her purple wings easing her to the ground. "You know I can't resist a wee bit of theatrics." She  
plucked the reptile's body off the ground, holding it up. "Anyone in the mood for snake meat tonight?" Everyone but Eren &  
Connie grew hungry at the suggestion.

 

 The King had just finished arranging wood in the pit. "Al, do you mind?" He motioned to unlit fire wood.

 

 "Not a 'tall." Alistair snapped his fingers & with a flick of his wrist threw the spark into the kindling. A little  
coaxing & the flame ignited, eating away at the sticks, twigs, & logs piled high.

 

 Armin leaned on his knees, watching the orange, & yellow flames cast shadows on the old King's face. "Pardon me,  
your Majest-" The King's sideway glance stopped him from being so formal. "Sir...?" He gauged the King's reaction not wanting  
to disrespect him, but also wanting to respect his wishes of not wanting to be called buy his title. The King nodded in  
approval. " Why don't you use magic yourself? I mean." He took a deep breathe & continued. "I've never seen you, or any  
other Valkyries for the matter use it."

 

 King Klein looked at his children. Anya had squeezed herself between her brothers & was milking the venom from the  
now dead Copperhead's fangs. Argo was assisting her holding the vial steady. He would process it later to create an antidote  
for those that might need it for bites. Alistair was still beside him tending to the fire making sure it was contained within  
the pit. "They're the only ones that can use it properly."

 

 Armin's hand went to his chin as he thought & open his mouth to ask another question but King Klein was already  
elaborating on the topic. "We can learn the spells & how to execute them, but the rest of us just can't seem to get a handle  
on it like my children can. We don't know why that's the case. I think it's because they were exposed to it in their  
childhood."

 

 A snort switched the attention from the king to Argo. "Don't know bout being 'exposed' but we figured it out when  
we were kids. Just kinda went from there."

 

 "What was the first spell you did?" Mikasa's voice was the same monotone wave that seemed to be her natural tone  
unless she was yelling at Eren.

 

 "It's not really a spell..." Alistair trailed off finding that best way to explain. "More like... an ability."

 

 "We did this." Anya flicked her finger aiming a purple spark at his head.

 

 "Hey!" He flicked back, a green spark flying from his fingers.

 

 "Dose that hurt?" Connie asked the wrong questions as all three of the siblings flicked their fingers at him. Red,  
green & purple sparks striking him in the head. "Shit! That tickles!" He rub his scalp soothing the sensation while the  
others laughed.

 

 "Can you guys, like, control minds & stuff like that?" Jean's been curious about the topic since it was discovered  
that the royal family on Paradis are able to alter the memories of all those - except the Ackermans- on the island. Who was  
to say that this royal family was any different and being a non human species they might have more abilities.

 

 The triplets shook their heads. "Naw." Anya answered verbally. "Nothing like that."

 

 "Well, Argo, you kinda can when it comes to blood binding."

 

 "Al!"

 

 "Bro!"

 

 Alistair threw a hand over his mouth realizing what he said. "Oops."

 

 "And you wonder where Lottie gets it from." Anya rubbed her face.

 

 Argo punched him in the arm. "Big mouth."

 

 The scouts exchanged another round of confused & curious looks. "Blood binding?"

  
 "What's that?" Eren & Armin were the ones to asks for everyone.

 

 A collective sigh was shared among the triplets when their father grunted. "Well. Cat's out of the bag. Might as well  
tell them."

 

 "Tell us what?" Hanji placed a hand on Levi's shoulder holding him at bay. His tone sounded a bit too cautious for  
her liking. Levi's always on guard, which is a good thing for a soldier, bit with him over caution can be a dangerous thing  
towards whoever it was aimed at.

 

 "Ummm." Alistair rubbed the back of his neck. His brother & sister staring him down to explain since he's the one  
that opened his mouth. "Each Valkyrie has a certain...gift... I guess you can say- depending on what type of Valkyrie they  
are." He paused expecting a question from the eager eyes of the scouts staring at him. No one said anything, waiting for him  
to continue. "You just saw me coaxed a fire to a full fume in a matter of seconds. I can influence the four basic elements.  
Earth, Air, Fire & Water" He ticked the list off his fingers. "Hence the name 'Elemental' for my kind. And." He motioned to  
 his father. "You saw dad's ability as a 'Storm' when he struck the three of us with lightening."

 

 "Have to keep you three in line somehow." The king snorted.

 

 Argo chewed on the inside of his lip before deciding it was his turn to show & tell. "The only way I can think to  
explain blood binding is that I can literally seize the blood in your veins. In Latin we call it 'Carpe Sanguine'."

 

 "Can you show us?" Eren's eyes grew at the thought of see first hand how Argo's special skill worked.

 

 "Hmmm..." Argo thought about it. "Not sure that's such a good idea."

 

 "It hurts like a bitch." Anya explained. "You become completely paralyzed & the pain is so intense you can't help  
but crumble to the ground in agony."

 

 "Sounds like you speak from experience, Anya." Hanji's voice remained steady, but her eyes were filled with apology.

 

 "I do, and trust me when I say you don't want to feel it. So Eren, it's not gonna happen laddie." Anya looked at her  
brother. "No blood binding today, bro." She patted his head in mock patronizing manner. "Aww, c'mon sis." He pouted back  
pretending to be disappointed.

 

 "So what's your ability then?" Levi wasn't the only one wondering about the special gift of an Arcainic.

 

 Anya leaned into her knees making contact with the same sapphire eyes Lucifer has. "Mines called 'Animatum Corpus.'"

 

 "That means animated corpse!" Armin blurted before shying away a bit. "Doesn't it?"

 

 "Well someone's been brushing up on their Latin." Anya sat back impressed at how much Armin's already learned from  
his time in the library. "You truly have a bloody brilliant mind, Armin." A slight pink flush rose on his cheeks at the  
compliment. It was different hearing it come from someone of royal blood that he didn't know well. "Yes, that's correct. To  
be frank I can control the dead."

 

 Awkward silence filled the air as the scouts wrapped their heads around what was said. Uncomfortable thoughts raced  
through their minds as they imagine their fallen comrades being controlled like puppet on strings. Incomplete bodies dancing  
about with shredded limbs, & lifeless eyes. The stars of a morbid play in a haunted theater production.

 

 "Can we see that?" All eyes turned to Jean. "I don't think I can believe that unless I see it." His voice was shaking  
at the memory of Marco laying half eaten by a titan against a building in Trost.

 

 "I don't recommend it." Anya could see the disbelief fear in his eyes.

 

 "Will it harm anyone?" Everyone's stares turned to Levi. Like Jean, he had to see it to believe it. Erwin would have  
wanted to witness this 'unique gift' as he would have called it even though all Levi could think about is how  
disrespectful it must be to those you simply wish to stay at rest.

 

 Anya looked into the eyes of the scouts. They all shared the same lost wonderment on their faces. A battle of wanting  
to see what they know they can never unsee.

 

 "No." She chose her words carfully."Not physically, but it's... disturbing. It's far from a pretty sight."

 

 "We're soldiers." Mikasa stated with a sharp tongue. "We've seen more then our fair share of ugliness in this world."

 

 Anya nodded. "Fair enough." She looked each one of the eyes again before letting out a sigh. "Are you all sure you  
want to see this?" _Please say no._ She thought. One by one the scouts nodded. She took a deep breathe. The snake had already  
been eaten, but they had a cart filled with the bodies of their day's hunt. She flicked her wrist flexing her fingers. A  
ruckus could be heard just beyond the tree where the cart resided, like nails scraping into wood.  
   
 Everyone watched in silence has the puppet master pulled at invisible strings attached to her unseen puppet. A  
figure grew closer creeping out from behind the trees. It looked to be a creature with claws emerging from the shadows of  
the fire & moon light. It's legs would wobble between steady steps. A marionette doll losing it's balance on pinned joints.  
Anya's hands moved with the figure bring it closer into the light of the fire. Her fingers dancing in the air the way her  
 niece's did on the piano.

 

 The silence was broken by the shuddering gasps that stuck in the scouts throats. The fire's flames caused shadows to  
lick at the blood that ran down the front of Levi's twelve point. The head moving left to right, the empty eye socket a  
black abyss from a clean shot met each of their faces as Anya's hand wave in front of her. Her movements precise & fluid. On  
a bended knee the stag took a bow. Its joints in control, but not by its own will. At a trot it pranced past the log Armin,  
Connie & Eren shared taking a stroll between the trees.

 

 It was an empty shell of a once beautiful creature. Even when its movement were flawless it lacked the grace of a  
living being. It was nothing more than a puppet on strings. It was no longer a wonderment of the scouts as to why the  
Arcainics are described has the embodiment of death.

  
\--

  
 No one spoke of the night's events the next morning. They talked about to plan for the day, ate their breakfast, &  
parted ways. Sasha went with Anya again. Hanji & Levi stayed with the king. The twins had Connie & Jean tag along with them,  
& Eren, Mikasa & Armin stayed in their trio. Same as the day before, they would hunt until dusk & then meet back at camp.

 

 The day was chilly with the autumn season coming in, but the sun was out welcoming the animals to come out & roam.  
It was mid-day, the king, Levi & Hanji had already gather an abundant of rabbits, ducks, & a couple of pheasants between the  
three of them. The king enjoying himself saying that it was the greatest bounty he's ever gotten when he noticed a pile of  
twigs in a pile. The stems showing they were cut of their trees instead of having fallen. He pulled the branches apart  
carefully. If he was what he thought it was, he didn't want to trigger anything.

 

 "Oh." He began shaking his head. "This isn't good."

 

 Hanji & Levi came up behind him. "What's wrong?"

 

 "We got poachers." He motioned at the bear trap he had uncovered. Its jaw wide open ready to bite into unsuspecting  
prey. "If there's this trap chances are there are others throughout the woods." He sat on his heels running a hand through  
his slivering hair. He would have to send out a team to clear them all out, but by then the poachers could long gone.

  
 "Hanji."

 

 "Yes, Sir?"

 

 "Do you think your people would mind helping us clear out the traps? I'd wait until he got back home, but by then it  
could be too late to catch these bastards."

 

 Her expression was serious as she stared at the metal teeth. "It won't be a problem at all. We'd like to help in  
any way we can." She picked up one of the cut branches using it to strike the trigger setting the jaw snapping the twig  
in half. "There. One down." She proudly proclaimed. "Now the issue is how are we going to gather everyone back at the camp  
to discuss a plan. We agreed to returned around dusk, but it's no where near the time." She glanced at the shadows the sun  
was casting confirming the time of day. "And there's no guarantee that we can find everyone if we split up to search."

 

 Levi starting digging in the supply bag he carried for them. "Got it covered." He pulled out a gun & an acoustic  
round.

 

 Hanji smiled as he loaded the round. Of course Levi would think to bring some of their own gear with them. He probably  
supplied the others with some as well before they went their separate way. "Sir, you might want to cover your ears."

 

 The shrill cry of the round pierced the forest canopy sending the birds flying. There no way the other's didn't hear  
it. Sure enough as they returned to camp Mikasa, Armin & Eren were already there waiting.

 

 "We heard an acoustic round go off. What's going on?" Eren spoke in a rush not giving anyone a chance to explain.

 

 "Eren, calm down." Levi patted him on the shoulder.

 

 Jean, & Connie were next to join them, the twins following behind.

 

 "These two said they heard something that meant to return here." Argo was agitated at having to give up a fat juicy  
pheasant. Jean & Connie had just taken off on the twins giving a vague explanation as to why they had to go back to camp.

 

 Their father stepped forward not bothering to let the topic of the sound they heard go on. "Where's your sister? We  
have poacher traps to clear out."

 

 Argo & Alistair blinked. "Seriously? Poachers?"

 

 Their father nodded. "Afraid so."

 

 "Shit!" Argo lit a cigarette shaking his head.

 

 "Sis, mostly likely tuned out that sound thinking it was shot gun echo." It was the only reason Alistair could think  
of for his sister's absence.

 

 "Sasha would have recognized it though." Blurted Connie.

 

 "Yeah, but do you really think she would take off like we did?" Jean asked. "I think she's a little afraid of her  
after last night."

 

 He didn't need to state the reason why Sasha would be afraid of Anya. Hanji turned to Levi.

 

 "Levi, do you think you can track them down?" He nodded. "Go." It was an official order. They may not be on their  
ship, or on their land, but she was still the fourteenth commander of the Survey Corps, & he was still a scout.  
   
 He took off in the direction they had gone that morning. His 3DMG allowing him to glide past the trees. He kept a  
sharp eye out for any signs to their whereabouts. Sasha was the first one he saw perched on a low branch. The impact of his  
gear's grappling hooks shook the tree announcing his presence to her.

 

 "Ca-captain!" She regained her balance, standing up too fast an the narrow limb. "I'm so sorry I didn't go to camp.  
I heard the round, but-" Levi held his hand up silencing her. "It's fine. Where's Anya?"

 

 Sasha lead him to the tree Anya was using to stalk her next kill. "Oi! Princess!" Anya threw her finger to her lips  
shushing Levi. She pointed down to the brush she was spying on. Two men were setting up a pit large enough to hold a bear if  
one was unfortunate enough to fall into it. They were pulling tree bark over the pit & piling leaves on top to camouflage  
the false floor.

 

 "I'm guessing on of their traps is the reason for that weird sound Sasha was talking about." Levi nodded understanding  
why she chose to stay. " I think we can apprehend them now that you're here." She whispered. "They're almost done with the  
trap, if we wait we can lose them."

 

 Levi looked around. The trees here are small compared to the ones back home, but trees were trees no matter the size.  
They could still be used for cover. being able to stay above the poachers gave them the advantage along with numbers. Levi  
unsheathe his swords. Sasha did the same. Anya summoned her twin swords following their train of thought.

 

 "We'll surround them. Sasha, I want you over there." He pointed at the spot. The tree was caddy corner from where  
he would place himself & across from where he would put Anya.

 

 Sasha gave one stern nod, all nervousness leaving her as she become a soldier following orders. "Yes, Captain!"

 

 Levi faced Anya. "You over there." She nodded & took off to her assigned tree limb before he move to his. Together  
they circled the men, still oblivious to the fact that they were caught. Sasha & Anya were waiting for Levi to signal their  
decent. He held up two fingers & they dropped.

 

 The poachers jumped, startled by their new company. "Who the fuck are ya'll!"

 

 "You know poaching's illegal, right?" Anya stepped towards the pair not bothering with introductions. "I outlawed it  
myself." Levi & Sasha stayed where they landed, blades drawn, letting Anya handled the men until they were needed.

 

 The man's face brighten as he realized who Anya was, smacking his companion's arm. "If you're the bitch who outlawed  
our means to make a living, then that means you're the Princess."

 

 The other man licked his lips. "She looks good." He turned to his partner. "Think we can keep her for ourselves?"  
They both laughed enjoying their semi-serious joke.

 

 She ignored the man's comment. "It also means I'm the General & the two of you are under arrest."

 

 They froze. Glances were exchanged while they looked behind them seeing Sasha. She hated poachers just as much as  
Anya. All they did was steal the hides, claws, teeth & other parts of animals leaving behind the carcass to rot; or worst  
they let the animal live without the tools it needs to survive leading it to a painful & unnecessary death. They turned to their  
left seeing Levi at their side primed for a fight. If it was food these guys were after like the royal family & themselves he  
wouldn't mind the two milling around the forest with them, but the phrase they used "means of living" it meant that they  
didn't even use what they took from the animals they merciless slaughtered. They simply took what they wanted & sold it for  
money- most likely spending it on beer & women.  
 Levi had unnecessary blood on his hands from his time in the Underground. He was hired to take someone out on more  
than one occasion getting paid a hefty amount, but in the Underground where everyone was scum it didn't matter if some pimp,  
or swindler just disappeared. If you dig deep enough into someone's past chances are you'll find something worth their life  
in trade.

 

 One man leaned into the other whispering in their ear. They turned back to Anya with a cocky grin on their faces.  
"Oohh, we're under arrest. I'm sooo scared."

 

 "With the way she looks she can cuff me & do whatever she wants." They joke about trying to act as if nothing was  
really going to happen having been caught. Anya, Levi & Sasha let them laughed to their hearts content. These two had  
something up their sleeves & they knew it. Their laughing fit died down. They straitened themselves. Took one look at one  
another & bolted. One charging at Anya, the other to Levi- the shortest people there.

 

 Levi grabbed his opponent by the waist tackling him to the ground easily dodging the man's sloppy punches. Anya was  
playing a game of chicken with the other. He would reach out to grab her & she would back up just out of reach leading him  
to their own trap. Sasha ran to help her Captain. Anya had the right idea. If she could help Levi guide the other man to the  
pit they can hold them there while one of them went to get the others. Then they can take the poachers back to the castle.

 

 Seeing the man on top of Levi pulling back a fist she thrust her body into his knocking him off. Levi crawled  
back on his feet snatching his fallen sword when he saw the mean push his hand into his pocket. "Sasha, move!" She did as  
she was told, quickly jumping up & away. Levi bared his blade down on the man's neck thinking he can hold him at bay. From  
the man's pocket came a small canister. He held it up, Levi's face being a perfect target being so close. With one click a  
hot liquid sprayed into his eyes causing them to sting & him to go blind. "What the! Shit! Fuck!" He cursed rubbing his eyes.  
The poacher scrambled to his feet as Levi struggle to regain his eye-sight stumbling around.

 

 Anya had her man faced down & pinned. A low growl came from behind her. _Mercury_. She order the hound to keep the man  
still while she went to help Sasha with Levi. "Water! He needs water to flush the pepper spray out!" She spat shoving a  
canteen into Sasha's hands as she held Levi's head still & his eyes open. Sasha poured the water taking the sting our of Levi's  
eyes. A sudden whine brought their heads back to the man Mercury was holding. His partner has double back to rescue him  
after he blinded Levi & struck the hound with a rock knocking him unconscienced. "NO!" Anya shouted running back to them. Levi  
ran after her having regain some of his sight. They still stung a bit, but he could see enough to where he was no longer  
completely useless.

 

 They men turned to run, only their feet never moved to propel them away from the two charging them. They waited for  
them to just get into range before they turned back for the confrontation. It was the perfect plan in their minds. One of  
them grabbed Anya's arm forcing her to come at a full stop throwing her off balance. The other shoved at her shoulder making  
her trip over Mercury.

 

 Knowing the bottom of the pit was waiting for her she threw her hand out to grab anything she could to keep from falling.

Levi's sight blurred once again when his scenery changed from the two men to the pit's dirt walls.

 

 The pit's floor was all too happy to greet them. A loud crack harmonized with the men's running feet as Anya's  
shoulder blade shattered on impact. Hers & Levi's heads were spinning from the sudden dose of vertigo.

 

 "Captain! Anya!" Sasha leaned over the pit's edge. "I'm going to get the others!"

 

 Anya felt pressure on her chest. "Bloody hell you're heavy." She groaned her voice horse from the air getting knocked  
out of her lungs. "Levi, get the fuck off me." She shoved his shoulder. Against the yelling of his head telling him to stay  
put he rolled off her causing his world to spin faster. There was something warm leaking through his shirt. His eyes still  
stung, & his vesion was fully back, but he could still make out the red, sticky blood staining his shirt.

 

 Anya went to sit up. "Anya don't-!" His warning was cut off by the cry she let out. One of his blades had pierced her  
side pinning her to the ground. Her face grimaced in pain when she probed the blade. It burned more than a stab should & she  
was feeling weak. Weaker than she should- she hadn't lose enough blood to feel dizzy yet. _Had she?_ She steadied her breathing  
 as best she could hoping the sensation would calm down. When she began to shiver her suspicions sky rocketed.

 

 "Take the sword out." She croaked.

 

 Levi looked at her, & then to his blade sticking out of her side. "Yeah, we need to keep as much blood as we can in  
you as we can." He should his head at such an obvious thought. "We can't exactly do that if we-"

 

 "Take it out now!" She commanded. "Please." Her voice shook.

 

 Levi hunched over his knees still trying to catch his own breath. her command didn't hit his ears with the authority  
she usually used. It was panicked. He knew the sword needed to stay where it was, & they should wait for the others. Her  
brother Argo would probably be able to do something for her, but seeing her lie there trying to keep calm... He leaned over  
wrapping his hand around the hilt. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch." He looked at Anya seeing if she changed her mind. She  
didn't. She nodded her head & braced herself. "Okay." He muttered under his breath.

 

 To her credit she didn't scream. Even when he threw a leg on the other side of her to gain better leverage- the most  
sound she made were the hissed that escaped between gritted teeth & the deep breathe she let out once the blade was removed.  
 She was still light-headed, but felt better now that the sword was gone.

 

 "Can you lift up a bit?" Levi had torn a swatch of his shirt to tie around her waist. She was able to lift her body  
off the ground enough for him to thread the ribbon of fabric under her. He tied it off tightly in an attempt to stop her  
from bleeding out. " This is completely stupid." He muttered sitting back on his heels. Something was whining up above. He  
looked up at the pit's edge. Mercury was staring down, crying, & letting little puppy-like barks out asking permission to  
come down. Anya waved her hand & the hound shadowed his way to the bottom. Levi didn't realize it until mercury wrapped his  
body around Anya's head letting her use him as a pillow, but she was shivering. Violently.

 

 "Levi?"

 

 "Yeah?"

 

 "Tell me." Her voice was soft. Too soft. "Are your swords made out of iron?"

 

 He paused. _How did she know?_ "Yeah. Something called 'Iron Bamboo.'" The smile that crept onto her face made his  
blood freeze over.

 

 "Huh." She was pale. "I thought so." Her eye lids fluttered closed.

 

 Levi shook her. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Wake up!" He shook her harder until her eyes popped opened. "You need to stay awake!"

  
He checked the wound. More blood was flowing out soaking into the ground. "Shit!" He looked back up at the pit's mouth.

  
"Sasha, hurry the fuck up with the others!" He shouted. His head was pounding & his eyes were blurring again. He needed more  
water to flush them. Anya's eyes were closed again. "No!" He smacked her face. "Come on! Stay awake damn it!" Voice could  
be heard calling their names. "We're down here!" He cradled Anya to his chest feeling her breathe come out in ragged,  
struggled huffs against him. "Help's on the way. Shhh shh shh." He rocked them back & forth tears streaming down his face.

  
"Can you hear them, Erwin. Hanji, & the others. They're on their way." He kissed the top of her head. "I won't lose you again,  
Erwin. Not this time. I won't let you die." He brought her head up to whisper in her ear. "It's gonna be fine." His tears  
came harder mixing with the blood he was smearing into her hair. "Erwin..." His voice cracked. "I love you."

 

 Anya's was fading in & out. Everything she heard an echo. Like she was too far from a cave for the sound to bounce  
back to her. She felt something warm & wet trail down her face, & a hand tangle in her hair. She could hear a heart beat that  
wasn't her own. It was nice. Comforting. _"Erwin... I love you."_ Black closed in around her with one last final thought.

 

  _Who the fuck is Erwin?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emotional right? I wasn't kidding when I said I had big fucking plan for this chapter, but I promise this isn't the end of this tale, there is still more to come next chapter. So stay tune!


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